on the service user group within the team and it is therefore paramount to consider potential conflicting traditions, values and ethics when working with children and families from other cultures. (PCF 3).

This analysis will focus on two cases I worked on during my time within this team. Alongside the work detailed below, I had the opportunity to build and develop my professional skills in a range of new and challenging areas. (PCF 7)

I have anonymised the service users in guidance with confidentiality and data protection policies (General Data Protection Legislation, 2018).

Case 1 :-

During my time on placement I was allocated to manage a case that was already at the child in need stage. According to the Department of Education, 1.1 million children were in need of help and protection at some point between 2014 to 2015 and 2016 to 2017 (Department of Education, 2018). A child or young person is identified as being ‘in need’ of services following a Child and Family Assessment. Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children’s Board have outlined that the need for an assessment mainly falls upon whether or not the child meets the threshold for tier 4 of the Pathway to Provision which outlines the guidance for practitioners to follow when identifying a child, young person and/or family’s level of need, and referral pathways to the most appropriate service to provide support (Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children’s Board, 2019).

The child in need process is underpinned by section 17 of the Children Act 1989.This states that a local authority’s initial role is to support the children and their families, facilitating them to remain a family unit and therefore reducing the need for compulsory action. This allows the local authority an element of control to decide how best to achieve the aims of the child in need plan (Legislation.gov.uk, 2018). This plan should be formulated by the social worker, parents/carers and other professionals working with the child or young person and the child or young person themselves. The plan should be outcomes focussed and should be based around the needs of the child. Wilson 2018 states that when working with children we should focus on talking with children, as opposed to about children, and this will emphasise their contribution to the process. This mirrors the views of Carl Rogers (1961) who argues that the individual is the expert of their own life and experiences.