'Tick box culture' for social workers needs to come to an end

Social workers should be free to decide what is best for children rather than following government targets, a sweeping review of England's child protection system said today.

The current "one size fits all" approach should be scrapped and professionals should be trusted to think for themselves, it said.

At present the "tick box culture" means there is too much emphasis on following rules instead of actually helping children, according to Professor Eileen Munro of the London School of Economics, who conducted the review for the department for education.

It means the system is full of people "doing things right" rather than "doing the right thing" she said.

Launching the report today, Professor Munro said: "A one size fits all approach is not the right way for child protection services to operate.

"Top down government targets and too many forms and procedures are preventing professionals from being able to give children the help they need and assess whether that help has made a difference."

Today's report calls on the government to reduce the amount of guidance for social workers, which is thought to be 55 times longer than it was 40 years ago.

The large amount of paperwork means child protection staff feel they must do everything by the book rather than using their professional judgement, the report said.

It also recommends that people who work with children and families should be freed from "unhelpful" government targets, should not have to use national IT systems, and should not have to follow centrally prescribed ways of working.

She added that targets for how long local authorities take to complete assessments should be scrapped, while a chief social worker should be appointed to work with the government, in the same way the chief medical officer does.
Meanwhile experienced social workers who get promoted should still be able to work directly with families, she said.

This is the first review of child protection that hasn't been ordered in the aftermath of a child being killed. Experts said it means the proposals are "radically different."

Professor Munro added: "We're not going to solve the current problems overnight. Child protection is one of the most complex and crucial areas for public services. The responsibility doesn't just fall to social workers, but is shared by other services that are there to help children."

Children's minister Tim Loughton said: "This is the first review of child protection that hasn't been initiated in the wake of a child death or serious case.

"This has allowed for a wide ranging and in depth review with some radically different proposals for reform."

He added that the government will respond to the repot later this year.