Experiences of a MAT Social Worker

Amanda Pascall describes her experiences over the last few months as a social worker based at Market Drayton MAT.

After having several years experience as a Social Worker within a Case Management Team, the opportunity to work within a multi-disciplinary environment with the focus being on early intervention and prevention work with children and families was very appealing.

Over the last few months I have started to observe some of the many benefits to multi-agency working. Working alongside professionals from other disciplines, for example mental health practitioners, Education Welfare Officers and Substance Misuse workers, has helped me to develop a broader perspective of their roles (particularly as we regularly talk about our work and share information). The Multi-Agency Team is relatively new in it’s forming however I can see the previous boundaries between agencies already being transformed as we all develop a better understanding of our roles and responsibilities. From this there has developed good morale between team members.

I am already starting to see a more rapid and seamless response for families, as referrals are made within the team to colleagues in other disciplines and the sharing of information is quicker and more effective under the Information Sharing and Assessment protocol. I was initially concerned that I may lose some of the skills and knowledge I had developed in assessing and managing risk in my previous posts. I have however discovered that moving into a Multi-Agency Team has in fact given me further opportunities to develop my skills in this area and develop my career.

I now have opportunities to help other agencies gain more awareness of child protection thresholds, particularly as one of my responsibilities is to provide consultations with professionals who have concerns or who are in need of advice regarding the families they are supporting. I now have a greater awareness of what support services are available in the local community and have opportunities now to develop links with these services and assist them in their understanding of the role of the Multi-Agency Team.

I have found my role as a Social Worker in a Multi-Agency Team more varied to that of previous experience working with Child Protection and Looked After Children. There is also a degree of greater flexibility in my role as I have opportunities now to be more creative. Part of my responsibility is to not only hold a caseload of children and young people who have a TAC (Team Around the Child) Plan but also attend TAC meetings when plans need to be reviewed as progress has not been made. I also have opportunities to undertake direct work with children and families rather than managing and reviewing plans.

I also have responsibility to certain TAC (Team Around the Child) meetings, either as the Lead Professional or to provide a consultation to those attending the TAC meeting. I have found these meetings a very effective way of bringing together those professionals who are working closest with a family. The meetings can be very small and informal and the family are central in deciding who attends and how the plan is formulated. The family can also decide, along with those professionals supporting them, the frequency of the meetings. Families have commented that having a Lead Professional, someone who acts as their first point of contact is less confusing and this has been echoed by other professionals supporting families.

This is an exciting time for the development of the Multi-Agency Teams within Shropshire and I am looking forward to the way in which the Social Worker role continues to develop.