Team of the Year, Children’s Services
Children in Need Team, Winsford and Northwich
ORGANISATION: Cheshire West and Chester Council
AWARD(S): Team of the Year, Children's Services
Cheshire West and Chester’s Winsford and Northwich CIN staff don’t have it easy. Over the past 18 months the 27-strong (plus a senior manager) group have carried significantly heavier caseloads than their two sister teams within the local authority area.
Recognising this burden, at the back end of 2015 a multi-agency summit chaired by the local director of children’s services came up with an action plan to help staff stay on top of their workload. Forging close relationships with partner agencies has helped, as has an able, stable management team (a ‘good’ service-wide Ofsted rating at the start of 2016 included an ‘outstanding’ accolade for leadership). Reflective practice has also been implemented within the team, including regular, well-attended peer reflection and peer development sessions.
Over the past two years staff retention has been steady, reducing the need for agency social workers. The knock-on effects have been 50% cost savings – and an invaluable stability in terms of service delivery.
Recent feedback reflects the latter benefit, with service users and fellow professionals describing team members as the best social workers they have come across. As the judges put it: “Standard teams doing amazing things every day should not be underestimated.”
WHAT THEY SAID:
This team has lived and worked through tough times but they've stayed focused and together. Teams doing amazing things every day should not be underestimated.
Paul Ringer, Deputy Chief Executive, Spurgeons
The team shows real innovation and high quality leadership. They have strongly promoted reflection and supervision with good impact and quality of work.
Annie Hudson, Interim Strategic Director, Children’s Services, Lambeth Council
This is a team that clearly values and supports its social workers, prioritising ongoing professional development, whilst also supporting students and newly qualified social workers. This has formed the solid foundation for good social work practice which achieves positive outcomes for children and families.
Emma Taylor, Director of Children's Social Care, Cheshire West & Chester Council
This Social Worker has always gone above and beyond their duties, without each of these amazing people involved in our lives I would hate to think what or where we would be. Words can’t explain what a huge impact they have made.
Service user
THE FINALISTS
Adoption Team, Peterborough City Council
SILVER AWARD WINNER
East/North East Looked After Children (Younger) Team, Leeds City Council
Fostering Recruitment and Assessment Team, Essex County Council
Horizon, Coventry City Council
Kingston Leaving Care/UASC Team, Achieving for Children
Multi-Agency Screening Team, North Yorkshire County Council