Social Services and well-being (Wales) Act 2014: implications for children and families and those who work with them. Professor Sally Holland Cardiff University CASCADE Research centre

Content What is the state of children’s and families’ social work now? Headline changes in the Act for Children and Families What actual differences might we see under the Act?

Child and family social work in Wales today Uniquely Welsh policies Communities First – Flying Start – Families First – Integrated Family Support Services Shared Family Justice System with England Public Law Outline

How are we doing? High looked after children rates High rates of children on the child protection register Similar rates of children in need (and in need because of child abuse and neglect) to England Workforce issues Commitment to public services, early intervention and joined up services

Everyday relationships: research findings General public: social workers swoop in with ‘blue lights flashing’ when a referral is made. Or, act as barriers to services (but reassured we are there…)

Policies, legislation and public discourses Local working environment Micro- communications

What will change with the SSWB (Wales) Act 2014 for children and families social work? Approaches Co-production can apply in every field, even child protection work Citizen-centred : what does this mean for children? Relationship-based working Measuring Outcomes not Outputs Local authorities must pay due regard to the UNCRC

What will change with the SSWB (Wales) Act 2014 for children and families social work? details Most of the current legislation (Children Acts 1989 and 2004) and in terms of adoption continue. National safeguarding board National adoption service No definition of child in need– section 17 will no longer apply. New statutory duty to assess children ‘in need of care and support’ (s21). Transition between child and adult services?

And there’s more to come The devil will be in the detail….

If it works well: a vision for the future Lean administrative demands and a process that fits the individual child or family Referral flow slows Social workers freed up to spend time with children and their families building collaborative relationships Less disjuncture for children moving on to receive adult services? Performance is measured by whether things improved for a child

Risks and barriers Can we change decades of working practices? Will children in need continue to be a priority?

Co-production applies to research too CASCADE aims first and foremost to improve the well-being and safety of children and their families by: Generating primary research evidence of an internationally recognised high quality. Making the results of this research, and research produced elsewhere, available in an accessible form for children and families who receive social care services, professionals and policy-makers. Engaging a range of collaborators in research, including children and young people, parents and carers, practitioners, policy- makers and social care providers from the public, private and third sectors.

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