Community Care reports on a conference speech by a service manager. He is reported as saying that some child protection social workers are finding the new approach to assessment, as proposed by the Munro Review, “scary” and “a challenge”. He is quoted as saying that some social workers are “reluctant to analyse information or provide their judgment or opinions”.
This is indeed a scary story. I am struggling to understand what must have been happening before the new way of working was implemented. Surely nobody actually relied on the Initial and Core Assessment forms to make decisions for them? I know that these forms purport to support decision-making (not very well in my opinion) but I cannot believe that anybody ever believed they made it unnecessary!
Perhaps this story is indicative of just how steep the learning curve required to deliver the Munro reforms is. Quite clearly the necessary changes will not be brought about by training courses based around changes in the design of forms and other paperwork. What is required is a fundamental shift in the culture of organisations.
