The problem we are addressing
Over the past six years, at least one in ten children have needed the support of a social worker. These children and their families often live in challenging circumstances and are more likely to struggle with social, emotional and mental health difficulties as a result. As the number of children in care continues to rise, there has never been a greater need for social workers who have the skill, confidence and time to help vulnerable families make positive change in their lives.
What we do
We develop social workers who invest time in building good relationships with families, who demonstrate skill and judgement in challenging situations, and who take measured risks to bring about the best possible results for and with families.
We recruit and develop outstanding people to be leaders in social work and broader society. In the last seven years, we have grown all of our programmes, with more than 1,000 alumni becoming part of our Fellowship.
Impact on children and families
Everything we do is ultimately for one purpose: to bring about lasting change, safety and stability for the thousands of children and families whom social workers support each year. Hearing and learning from the children and families who have been supported by Frontline participants, Firstline leaders and fellows plays a crucial role in this.
“You showed me how to do things, you didn’t just tell me what to do. You understand me and do things in front of and with me. I know I can turn to you.” Deborah, a mother supported by Laura, a Frontline participant.
“Sally tells me when I’m doing a good job, and told me not to keep putting myself down. She knew I didn’t believe in myself and reassured me. This doesn’t mean she didn’t tell me when she felt I’d done something wrong, but she told me what I could do to make it better.” Lacey, a mother supported by Sally and Jacob, Frontline participants.
Impact on children’s services
We partner with local authorities that can provide an environment which encourages and supports social workers, and we work with them to create or nurture the necessary conditions for this.
Our partnership with Gateshead council, now in its fifth year, demonstrates the impact our programmes and Fellowship together can have on a local authority.
Wider impact
Both inside and outside social work practice, fellows from across all of our programmes are implementing innovative ideas, engaging local communities and working to bring about change for vulnerable children and families. We’ve highlighted just a few of the of the initiatives our fellows are working on in the report.