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Top award for Liverpool social work
team
A team of Liverpool City Council social
work staff who help keep families in crisis together have won a top industry
award. The Instant Response Team in the Family Support Service scooped the
prestigious:- 'Public Sector Children's Team Award' at the Children and
Young People Now awards in London.
They respond to referrals where there is an imminent risk of family breakdown,
often in extremely difficult and challenging circumstances, to ensure children
and young people can safely remain at home with their families by providing
timely, intensive, targeted support.
They saw off competition from Councils in:- Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire
Council, Lancashire, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and
Westminster City to scoop the prize.
Councillor Barry Kushner, Cabinet member for children's services, said:-
"Our social work staff are unsung heroes, who spend every working day helping
keep vulnerable young people safe, often in very traumatic circumstances. I am
so proud that the Instant Response Team's diligence, passion and commitment to
their work has been rightly recognised and rewarded in this way. This is a
vindication of the investment we have made in our Early Help teams and the
impact it has on children's and families before they get into crisis. All the
evidence shows that keeping families together and working proactively alongside
mums, dads and carers to resolve their issues is far better in the longer term.
The value of their work is truly immeasurable and we should all be grateful that
we have among our workforce so many compassionate staff."
Between April and September this year, a total of 97 children were referred to
the team; of which 79 were able to stay with their families rather than being
placed in foster or alternative care. A further 3 were eventually able to return
home after support was provided.
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