Children's Social Work: Our Teams

Locality Social Work Service

The locality social work service works with children and their families from across the borough of Rotherham and consists of 12 teams working from 5 office bases (Clifton the Place, Rawmarsh service centre, Maltby service centre, Aston service centre and Swinton Brookfield centre).

The teams focus on:

  • children in need
  • children in need of protection
  • children where a PLO/pre-proceedings process is ongoing
  • Children subject to public and private law proceedings.
  • looked after children prior to transfer to the children in care service.

The locality social work service aims to provide the right service with the right approach at the right time by:

  • Identifying and clearly explaining the nature and level of risk to children and the impact this will have on them if nothing changes.
  • Understand the child’s lived experience through our visits to the family, direct work and observations and
  • Create plans and ways of working with children and their families that achieve a tangible positive difference.

The locality social work service aims to provide good quality, timely intervention to ensure that children and their families receive the help and protection that they need to help them achieve their full potential and a better outcome in life.

We know that social workers need good quality support and challenge from their managers. We have created small teams with an advanced practitioner post in each team to provide an environment that allows for regular supervision and oversight to ensure that social workers are supported to do a good job.

The locality social work teams work closely with colleagues in early help locality teams which serve the same geographical areas to ensure that help is provided to children and their families at the most appropriate level.

The Children with Disabilities Team is also within the Locality children in need service. The Children with Disabilities Team provides a specialist social work service for children and young people who have a permanent and substantial sensory, learning and physical disability.