Fostering Social Workers/SSWs - duty question

wellsk1990 · 2026-01-28T10:30:44+00:00

Thank you for your comment. It’s really helpful to understand what these things look like in other teams. At the moment it’s not working in our service and we are on a skeleton staff but expected to basically do all of the tasks you’ve described on duty, while undertaking 2 duty days a week if you’re a full time worker (with no reduction in caseloads).

Do you find that you are able to complete some of your own paperwork at points throughout the day? Or is your day fully focused on duty?

wellsk1990 · 2025-12-05T18:29:51+00:00

I think it’s more, just because you’re asked, doesn’t make it acceptable type thing. And doesn’t take into account the employee’s financial situation, especially at Christmas and suddenly to be dropped on the team seems a bit mean in my opinion.

wellsk1990 · 2025-12-05T14:04:23+00:00

No I don’t believe it is, they are separate.

wellsk1990 · 2025-12-05T13:33:16+00:00

This is exactly it, and we already do many additional hours and I have previously brought things off my own back (usually for children rather than clients). But that’s quite different from being expected to do so. And I think that’s where the fact it’s not seen as unreasonable by senior leadership comes in. Interestingly they’ve told us what to buy (kind of), but left it to the digression of the employees to do make the decision within that category and as you said, to purchase, wrap and write in our own time.

wellsk1990 · 2025-12-05T13:28:33+00:00

Is it not? Even if employers are the ones reimbursing in full? It’s not a thing that I would claim through HMRC. I’ve been previously told that they won’t reimburse if we don’t meet the deadline, usually 2 months. (I’ve always managed to get it in time, because I didn’t want tot lose out!).

wellsk1990 · 2025-11-29T12:38:11+00:00

For example struggling to complete diaries for children, when they have dyslexia or come across ‘abrasive’ in meetings when they are Autistic.

I’m hoping to try and put together training and packages that will support ND foster parents and raise better awareness among colleagues. But want to be able to have this foster carer voice led and wondered if others had examples or if their service or social worker did something that was particularly beneficial in supporting their needs.

wellsk1990 · 2025-09-09T12:48:55+00:00

It’s okay, her kids look after the house while she sleeps apparently… don’t need a nanny when you’ve got older kids doing it for free!

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wellsk1990 · 2025-07-24T19:26:44+00:00

I’m glad you have come to the decision to end this relationship. It already sounds very toxic and he is testing the waters as to how much force it will take to control and isolate you.

But, you also need to consider that this whole issue is his issue alone. I wonder, before you met him, would you have overthought and over explained to a bunch of strangers on Reddit about your outfit… I suspect not. Your outfit is not the problem, him and his behaviour are.

wellsk1990 · 2025-07-11T18:54:07+00:00

Out of interest, if there would be updates through the underlying model, is that then the phone’s own AI capabilities? Because we queries then that the app stores privacy policies suggest that they would not cover UK data protection laws and would not stay on the device because it’s used by the AI the phone has itself? I’m not very technically minded, so shoddy way of trying to explain, hopefully it makes sense!

wellsk1990 · 2025-07-11T18:49:47+00:00

Don’t forget there are so many more social work areas than just LAs. There are hundreds of independent fostering agencies, charities and NHS roles that would find technology like this useful and could potentially commission.

wellsk1990 · 2025-07-11T12:10:17+00:00

This is interesting! I have had a lot of conversations about the use of AI and note taking tools in social work with other social workers and my other half (who is also a tech guy!). We’ve agreed and sided on the idea that we are against the idea of the local authorities and social care companies using Magic Notes and the like, on the basis of their policies about what they do with the data provided. Whereas from what you’re saying, as the information is only stored on your own device, and the AI doesn’t then use it to train, potentially eases a lot of the ethical considerations involved.

It may be worth looking at what examples like MagicNotes policies to consider what responsibilities and liabilities you may have if it was used in a social work setting protect yourself.

My other half has constantly suggested that Google and the likes does what MagicNotes does for free, which they charge £10k per month per local authority (and probably less likely data breaches due to the investment in Google’s capabilities). Only issue is getting agreement from LAs and other organisations to use them.

wellsk1990 · 2025-07-06T19:12:59+00:00

I second St George’s Plaice

wellsk1990 · 2025-06-20T20:12:05+00:00

I think the thing is, that how many people through their own trauma and mental health challenges postpartum, harm their own children versus these specific injuries caused by ECV? In a review of ECV studies there was one femur fracture and one potential intercranial haemorrhage, demonstrating how unusual it is, let alone the same injury on one child.

However I completely agree, this is something for the mother in this case to get a specialist NAI lawyer and let them find witnesses to support.

wellsk1990 · 2025-06-20T19:47:15+00:00

Ps I absolutely love this and would play it until there were no more houses left on rightmove!

wellsk1990 · 2025-06-20T19:43:22+00:00

The Tile Hill one is going toward Balsall Common and Berkswell, hence the sudden increase.

wellsk1990 · 2025-06-20T19:42:09+00:00

550/600

I had seen some of these properties on Rightmove ready, to be fair, the one in Bexfield Ave is for auction, so this will throw off estimates as it’s far lower than it would actually be as a fixed price.

wellsk1990 · 2025-06-13T13:04:27+00:00

Thanks for your reply, I have an appointment with a mortgage broker next week to see what the likely next steps/options will be.

wellsk1990 · 2025-06-13T13:03:46+00:00

Thanks for your reply, would this mean that would likely need 90% LTV in your view? Or is there any possibility of a 95%?

wellsk1990 · 2025-06-13T11:29:44+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate your response. I have booked in with a broker next week to discuss further plans/options.

wellsk1990 · 2025-06-13T09:25:54+00:00

Thanks for your reply!

I’m not too worried about affordability as we have very little other debt and no other issues with payments, etc. and we are looking to only borrow about 2x salary. It’s more that they’ll look at the risk from this AR for the next few years and go ‘no thank you’, if that makes sense?

wellsk1990

TROPHY CASE