What does a social worker do?

If you are in care, we must put a qualified social worker in charge of your case. Your social worker will:

• Take you out and talk to you. They can help you understand what is happening and why.
• Help with school problems. They will make sure you get the best support, so you do as well as possible.
• Listen to any worries you have about your foster carers, placement or other people you come into contact with. They will understand that sometimes you might not want them to share what you have said. What you tell your social worker stays between you, unless the social worker is worried about your safety and needs to tell other people.
• Write down what you want or have said. Your social worker will explain to you what kind of things they need to record, and who is likely to see these records. If your social worker is sick, the new social worker can read your records and will not expect you to tell them everything again.
• Make sure you understand your rights, by sharing things like 'the promise' with you
• Make sure you understand how to get an independent advocate, if you are not happy with anything that is happening, or if you would just like some independent support when attending meetings or your Child in Care (CinC) review