The Children in Care Team

The team are responsible for supporting children who are placed in residential or foster care, or with relatives and friends who are approved as long term carers.

The team work hard to ensure children are looked after in a safe, nurturing and ambitious environment, supporting them to grow into confident adults and reach their full potential.
 

What do the Children in Care team do?

All children will have an allocated social worker. The social worker has responsibilities and duties to visit children where they live regularly, to ensure that their needs are met and they are thriving in our care.

All children and young people in care will have a Care Plan that describes how their needs are being met. The Care Plan also identifies plans for contact (family time) with birth family and friends.

These plans are reviewed regularly by an Independent Reviewing Officer to ensure that their education and health and wellbeing is being promoted.

Our services include:

• promoting permanence for children and young people so they have a safe and stable place to live
   
• providing health assessments and education plans that identify individual needs
   
• promoting and facilitating meaningful family time with family members and friends who are important to the child or young person
   
• direct work with children and young people to help them understand why they are in care, including life story work, advice, assistance and befriending

All children in care will have access to an advocate or an independent visitor to help them share their views and ensure they feel heard.

All children are encouraged to join or participate in our Children in Care Council (called R'Vue). This is a group of children in care and care leavers who participate in developing the service, leisure events and provide a representative for children in care in West Berkshire.