Catch up on our webinar – Reimagining child welfare for the twenty-first century – held on Tuesday 14th November 2023.
Watch here
Download a guide to Leeds City Council's 'Family Valued' approach
About the webinar
What can we do to make sure all vulnerable children are able to flourish? How should we balance the need to help and support families, with the need to protect children from harm? Where is the system going wrong and what can we do about it?
Critics of the status quo argue that, over the years, England has developed a system that is out of balance with what most families need. Protecting children from harm has become the dominant focus, whilst the evidence shows that most children and families need help and support, rather than protection from imminent danger.
‘Child welfare’ is a concept that embraces the whole of a child’s well-being, development, lifestyle and safety. One implication of this is that it leads us to think about how we can help, as well as protect, children.
Effective child welfare requires an approach that looks across the whole system and builds and maintains good relationships. Having high-quality child protection is critical, but if you don’t also invest in the wider system, including early help, you risk being overwhelmed as demand rises. One response to this is Leeds City Council’s Family Valued approach.
In this webinar, John Copps was be joined by a panel of experienced children’s services colleagues from Leeds and one of their partner local authorities, Darlington Borough Council, to explore how children’s services can change, and their experiences of driving that change.
Our panellists were:
Sal Tariq, Director of Leeds Relational Practice Centre, social worker and former Director of Children’s Services in Leeds
Gail Faulkner, Lead Consultant, Leeds Relational Practice Centre
Chris Bell, Assistant Director of Children’s Services, Darlington Borough Council
If you would like to discuss any of the topics covered in this webinar, contact john@mutualventures.co.uk
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