Most social workers believe poverty is not significantly, or at all, considered in social care assessments and plans, a Community Care poll has found.
This follows recent Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) data highlighting how rising poverty and homelessness are driving demand for children’s social care.
ADCS found that inadequate housing, welfare reforms and families lacking access to public funds were key factors behind increased safeguarding activity.
As of 2022-23, 4.3m – or 30% of – children were in relative poverty in the UK, meaning they lived in a household whose income was below 60% of the average after taking account of housing costs.
This is up from 27% of children in 2021-22 (source: Institute for Fiscal Studies).
Despite this, a Community Care poll of 468 readers found that 62% felt poverty was 'not at all' or 'not very much' taken into account in social care assessments and planning.
Only a quarter (25%) said it was ‘somewhat’ considered, and 13% believed it played a significant role.
Celebrate those who've inspired you
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Do you have a colleague, mentor or social work figure whom you can't help but gush about?
Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.
Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.
*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*
If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com
Do you consider the impact of poverty when conducting an assessment or drawing up a care plan?
