Schools: Social Workers
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of placing a qualified social worker in schools to support (a) early identification and (b) safeguarding of children experiencing unmet need.
Answered by Department for Education
The department commissioned the What Works for Children’s Social Care, now Foundations, to deliver a randomised controlled trial of the impact and cost effectiveness of placing social workers in schools during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 academic years. It took place in 291 schools across 21 local authorities.
The trial tested whether the social workers worked more effectively with education colleagues and with children and families, including to spot the signs of abuse, neglect, and risk of harm more quickly and respond more effectively.
The evaluation of the trial accounted for variations in implementation across participating schools, including impacts from the pandemic, and was quality assured by peer review. It looked at a range of key children's social care metrics, including rates of child protection enquiries, child in need assessments, referrals, children entering care, and days spent in care. No statistically significant impact was found for any. The evaluation also included a detailed economic assessment, which concluded that the model was significantly more costly than standard social work practice. Based on these outcomes, the evaluation made a clear recommendation that social workers in schools is not continued or scaled up further.
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