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Your social worker will visit you regularly at the place where you live to make sure you are ok. If you want to speak to your social worker between these times you can phone them, and ask for an extra visit if you want one.
If you are living in your family home, or with a relative or family friend, your social worker will visit you every week to find out how you are until your first review meeting to make sure you are safe and well. After this they must visit you no less than every 4 weeks.
If you are living in a children’s home or with foster parents, or if you are in secure accommodation or a young offender institution, your social worker will visit you within the first week of your placement. After this you should have a visit no less than every 6 weeks.
After you’ve lived for one year in your placement how often you are visited depends on how long you will be staying there. If the plan is for you to stay until you are 18, your social worker must visit you at least every three months. If the plan is for you to leave before you are 18, your social worker must visit you at least every six weeks.
When your social worker visits they should see you on your own, unless you don’t want to or your social worker thinks it’s not a good idea. They should sometimes see your bedroom to make sure it’s comfortable for you, and may sometimes take you out on a trip or to the park to get to know you better.
If your carer has asked for an extra visit, your social worker might just see them on that occasion and not necessarily see you.
The visits are meant to check that you are happy with where you are living and that everything is ok with school and seeing your family. They are also to help you get to know your social worker so that you feel comfortable talking to them about the things that are going on in your life.
After each visit your social worker will write a report saying whether you are well and happy in the placement, and what you think and feel about it. The report will say what you talked about, anything you are worried about and what your social worker will do about it. You will be given a copy of this report.
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