Our Independent Social Worker’s come to us for a range of different reasons. They may be disillusioned within their current role, want the flexibility that the position offers or just want an improved work/life balance. It is a decision that few regret and most find extremely rewarding. We value the diversity of personalities and experience that our Independent Social Worker’s bring and see them flourish as they implement the values and principles that they have always held in a way that allows their individual creativity to shine.
The profession is often demanding and emotionally challenging and our practitioners understand the incredible difference that our role can make to the lives of vulnerable children and their families and the impact that we can have in decision-making processes. We are driven to achieve the very best outcomes for children and whilst this is a universal language throughout the profession, it represents one of the strongest principles for Advanced CCA.
Our Panel at Advanced CCA.
Here at Advanced CCA our highly skilled Independent Social Workers deliver a wide range of high-quality reports within strict time scales, and due to their hard work and dedication, have established Advanced CCA as one of the UK’s leading providers of reports and assessments.
Established over 25 years, our panel has grown from strength to strength. All of our Independent Social Workers have a minimum of 8 years’ experience as a qualified Social Workers and each one brings different skillsets and interests, so we are able to provide our clients with the ideal Social Worker best suited to the case.
Our panel of expert Independent Social Workers are able to prepare a comprehensive range of assessments, to include Viability, Risk and Parenting Assessments, PAMS, ParentAssess, Connected Persons, SGO Assessments and our newest assessment 24/7 In The Home, to name but a few.
Why Do Our Social Workers Choose Advanced CCA?
Within the Advanced CCA’s panel of carefully selected Independent Social Workers, there is wealth of experience and expertise that we want to harness and raise as a beacon that we can be proud of. They are intrinsically involved in carrying out assessments and preparing high quality reports, which are evidence based and thorough and that can stand the test of cross-examination. Our recruitment process ensures that individual practitioners embrace the company’s values and beliefs and approach our clients with respect and professionalism at all times.
We encourage and support the personal and professional development of all of our panel members and have an enviable reputation for consultation and social connections. Advanced CCA is keen to afford expert panel members attractive payment terms, further training and development opportunities, while ensuring that its team are kept up to date with any Social Work news, new and innovative practices and Legal updates.
We asked one of our Social Workers, Ashley Barrow to answer the question – why do our social workers choose to be on our panel…
What do you enjoy about being an expert panel member for Advanced CCA, and what gives you the most job satisfaction?
“The main aspects of the job that I enjoy the most are, ensuring that parents feel that their situation is heard, that they are listened to and their views are expressed to the court who are making life changing decisions about their future. The assessment process can often help parents to recognise the changes that they need to make and they start to proactively make them. It’s lovely to see when children can return home to a parent / carer as a result of my assessment. I also enjoy attending fostering panel with successful applicants.
Also i enjoy the travel! I enjoy visiting the Lake District as part of my role and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to complete an assessment in outside the UK”
Involved in various cases since her time with Advanced CCA, Ashley explained what served as the biggest challenge in the role so far. And what she gained from her experiences?
“The biggest challenge has been completing assessments via video link in the midst of the pandemic. This opened up a new door of creativity with building positive relationships with parents over video calls and thinking “outside the box” to encourage meaningful engagement. The assessment process has worked well.”
We asked Ashley about whether she felt a sense of ‘belonging’ with her colleagues, and how they inspire her.
“Always. At the beginning, I thought it would feel isolating as I had moved from being in a busy child protection team to working from home alone. But at no point did I ever feel alone. The management team are always available to have case discussions with. But more importantly, I have been amazed by the wealth of knowledge in the team. No matter how complex the situation may seem, there is always someone who has already experienced something similar, who has resources, tools or research to inform my practise.”
And finally, Ashley shares with us what she has learned from working alongside other Independent Social Workers at Advanced CCA.
“So much! I have had the opportunity to attend various training courses. I have worked with numerous different local authorities who all work differently and provide different techniques, skills and ideas of working with families. I have learned that being creative with the use of resources can support families to understand risk, to open up their discussion, to ensure they feel part of the process and to achieve better outcomes.”
If you’re a Social Worker and are considering a move to Independent Social Work on a panel such as ours, get in touch today to find out more.
