Underpinning knowledge

Transition social workers need to understand the theories and techniques any social worker would use, child and adult social care legislation, and that adolescence is a distinct phase of development.

Challenges we face

Making it better

Top tips

  1. Promote social work understanding of key legislation: the Children Act 1989 (and 2004); the Children and Families Act 2014; the Mental Capacity Act 2005; the Human Rights Act 1998; and the Care Act 2014.
  2. Understand the overlaps between the Care Act and the Children and Families Act.
  3. Look beyond traditional training: consider shadowing, team discussions and mentoring as ways of building legal knowledge across and between services.
  4. Services must create time and opportunities for social workers to understand adolescence.
  5. Services must create time and opportunities for social workers to understand the different conditions experienced by the adolescents they support.
  6. Services should support a culture in which key social work theories and concepts are actively considered, debated and used.
  7. Team structures and systems should be considered which support a range of knowledge and experience, covering children’s and adults’ social work.

Legislation, statutory guidance, resources and tools

Legislation and statutory guidance

Resources

Tools

Preparing for adulthood: The role of social workers
Previous section | All sections | Next section