What are the Social Worker’s Responsibilities?

The responsibilities of the social worker regarding conferences include:

• Ensuring the family and child are informed of the date of the conference, and the time and venue if they are to be invited, and establishing any transport or child-care needs
• Ensuring the family have received the standard information literature explaining the conference process
• Providing a written report for the conference using the standard format, and ensuring that this is provided to the family and chair at least two working days prior to the conference.
• Ensuring that the report is also shared beforehand with the parents and, where appropriate, the child.
• Supporting parents and children in presenting their views, even if they are not to attend the conference. This may entail the use of written, audio or video facilities, and the provision of translation or advocacy services where there are communication difficulties
• Arranging for the family to meet the chair of the conference before it starts
• Providing the family with a copy of the conference record