Family Help & Protection

The Family Help and Protection Services includes six social worker teams, and each team has an Assistant Team Manager and a Team Manager. There are four Social Worker Assistants which support the six teams.  There is a Head of Service, Court and Protection Specialist Manager and the PLO Co Ordinator.  The role of the Court and Protection Specialist Manager and PLO Co-Ordinator is across all service areas, however, is linked to the Family Help and Protection Service. 

Our Social workers manage a protected caseload within a framework of supervision under the direction of the Team Manager and Assistant Team Manager, including assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of appropriate action to ensure that resources are utilised effectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, families, and carers. As part of their role, they assess the needs of children and young people who require social work services, including the identification of risk and the need for protection. The Family Help and Protection Service is responsible for children subject to Child in Need, Child Protection plans, Pre-Proceeding plans, Private Fostering, Private Proceedings and Care Proceedings. 

The role of the PLO Co Ordinator is to coordinate and drive practice development in respect of Public Law Outline practice and performance to ensure timely and effective permanence planning for children and young people. The role also involves supporting the development of practitioners in this area of work to achieve positive outcomes for children, young people, and families.

The Court and Protection Specialist Manager is responsible for the management, oversight and development of Child Protection and Court work to ensure that children have the right plan at the right time.  In addition to ensure that all plans progress in a timely manner and intervention is effective supporting children within their families therefore preventing the need for the plan to escalate.  The Court and Protection Specialist Manager leads, manages, and develops the Public Law Outline and works in partnership across the region to embed the principles and re-launch of the Public Law Outline in respect of pre-proceedings, care proceedings and private proceedings.

The Head of Family Help and Protections role is to overall coordinate, manage and embed the highest of standards and practice also ensuring good outcomes are achieved for children and their families. Their role is to ensure staff are "Brilliant at the Basics" and that children and young people have the right plan at the right time through their leadership and management.