Social work in education

Social Work in Education Team

The team is comprised of experienced social workers, with statutory as well as therapeutic social work backgrounds. These skills are applied to working in multi-professional teams to engage children, young people and their families, with complex and entrenched emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. Links with social services are becoming established and working together protocols are being developed.

There are two branches to the team:

Social Workers (Behaviour Support) based in the BSS’, Behaviour Support Service’s, multi-disciplinary secondary and primary outreach teams who:
Receive referrals either through the BSS, or directly in the case of the secondary schools, through the Pastoral support mechanisms.
Offer support to the PRUs and Samuel Rhodes by working directly with childen and their families, as well as offering advice and expertise on child protection and children in need issues, and referrals to social services
Work directly with children, young people and their families who are displaying worrying behaviours, which affect their ability to function in schools and are often at risk of exclusion.

School Social Workers Workers, who are based in selected schools as part of the Behaviour Improvement Programme’s, BEST (Behaviour Education Support Team).
The purpose of BEST is “to promote emotional well-being, positive mental health, positive mental health, positive behaviour and school attendance among children and young people, and help in the identification and support of those with, or at risk of developing emotional and behavioural problems, through the provision of multi-agency support in target schools and to individual families.”

The school social workers:

  • Provide the SW input and expertise to multi- professional teams, working in identified secondary and primary schools, with referred children, young people and their families

  • Offer advice and consultation on child in need and child protection issues, as well as acting as the conduit to social services, as well as offering schools a perspective of the child’s social context as it impacts on behaviour and attendance

  • Offer group work with children and young people on a range of self-esteem and emotional issues to promote and encourage emotional well-being

  • Provide in-depth assessments of individual children and young people’s needs, so as to offer a planned intervention, and to review with all concerned, including other agencies.

For further information contact:

Sarah Le May
Education Social Work Team Manager
CEA@Islington
Lough Road
London N7 8RH
Tel: 020 7527 5863
E-Mail: sarah.lemay.cea@islington.gov.uk