Children's Social Care

Promote and safeguard the wellbeing of children and young people who are ‘in need’ (children are defined as ‘in need’ if they would suffer if they did not get help);.
Make assessments and provide a range and level of services appropriate to assessed needs to support parents to care for their children.
This includes:
- Investigating allegations of abuse and child welfare concerns;
- Providing accommodation for children and young people who cannot live with their families.

We prioritise

Children and young people at risk of harm;
Children and young people looked after away from home;
Young people aged 16 to 21 who are leaving care;
Children and young people with disabilities;
Children and young people where the courts request us to become involved.

How we do this

Wherever possible we work in partnership with other agencies and parents to support children and young people at home or within their extended families;
Where the child protection concerns are too great children and young people may become looked after either with parental agreement or by court order;
A small number of these children and young people may move to adoptive families if they are unable to return home.

Total numbers across the county

3 500 children and young people defined as ‘in need’ and receiving a service;
382 children and young people looked after;
Approximately 200 Care leavers receive a service;
166 children are on the child protection register;
286 approved foster carer households.

The county is divided into 4 areas each led by a Group Manager who has responsibility for child protection, family support, fostering, adoption and residential service

	Jeremy Sellars - Mendip
	Liz Evans - Somerset Coast
	Tim Stafford - South Somerset
	Alison Davis - Taunton
We also have a Group Manager for Residential, Placements and Crisis Intervention
	Pat Van Hoey Smith

Children with disabilities service

Works with health and education colleagues to improve the life chances of children with disabilities;
Offers support to families with a child with disabilities including respite short breaks with foster carers;
Provides respite and longer-term care at residential units in Yeovil, Curry Rivel, and Wellington;
Maintains a register of disabled children and publicises services.

Fostering Service

Recruits assesses and approves people who wish to foster;
Reviews and supervises approved foster carers;
Finds suitable foster carers for children and young people;
Considers the suitability of, and supports people who foster privately.

Residential Service

8 bedded residential units for teenagers in-
- Bridgwater
- Frome
- Yeovil
- Bawdrip – countywide resource
8 bedded unit for younger children in Taunton – countywide resource.

Care Leaving Service

Assesses individual needs and make plans about moves to independence;
Provides personal support to care leavers;
Provides accommodation and financial support to care leavers.

Adoption Service

Advises adopted adults about tracing their birth family;
Recruits assesses approves and supports adoptive parents;
Finds suitable adoptive homes for children;
Offers independent support (through NCH) to birth families whose child is adopted or a plan to be adopted.

Service Delivery

New enquiries are dealt with by Somerset Direct – Children Young People and Learning telephone service;
Action and Assessment Teams (AAT) undertake ‘initial assessments’;
Long -Term Teams continue further ‘core assessments’ working in family support, child protection, and with looked after children and young people.

Out of Hours Service

Services out of office hours are provided by the Emergency Duty Team based at Langport;
Support and visits to children and young people at risk of becoming looked after are also provided by workers from the adolescent support team who are available during and out of office hours.