The role of the Supervising Social Worker
The Rees Centre has just published a research review on what is known about the role of the supervising social worker (SSW) who acts as the conduit between the fostering household and fostering service, distinct in England from the role of the foster child’s social worker.
The review synthesised 22 studies and found almost no evidence of the impact of SSWs on stability of foster care placements. The support aspects of the role have received much more research attention to date than the supervisory aspects. Foster carers value the support provided in particular emotional support given through home visits or telephone calls and there was evidence that this had a direct relationship with foster carer retention. There was a lack of evidence about social workers’ workloads or outcomes for the child.
The full report is available on the Rees Centre website.
