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Social Workers in Secondary School (SWISS)

SWISS is a team of skilled social workers. They work in Children Social Care and Early Help Children and Family Service (EHCFS).

We work with social work teams to help children and families in Tower Hamlets.

Aims and objectives

Our goal is to help social workers and schools work well together. We focus on solving safeguarding issues early on.

Our overarching goals include:

  1. Reducing referrals to Children’s Social Care (CSC)
  2. Promoting better inter-agency working between schools and CSC (3-way meetings and board meetings)
  3. Reducing the number of Section 17, Children in Need (CIN) or Section 47, Child Protection (CP) investigations under the Children Act 1989.
  4. Reducing the number of children in care
  5. Referring/signposting to specialist support services and agencies
  6. Team around the Family (TAF) meetings

Work/interventions undertaken by SWISS

  • Offering advice, consultations, and support to Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) and teachers in schools regarding safeguarding concerns for children.
  • Single Assessments under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. Looked After Child (LAC) assessment/placement if or when required.
  • Early Help Assessments (EHA).
  • Offering support to young people in 6th forms at secondary schools.
  • Liaison with multi agency professionals involved with children and their families

Referral to SWISS

  • Teachers or DSLs can direct students to their SWISS worker at school by consulting and filling out a SWISS referral form.

  • Teachers/DSLs can use the SWISS duty email for consultations if their SWISS worker is not available.

Schools and other agencies will continue to make referrals through MAST which is the current referral pathway. MAST will determine if it meets threshold for statutory intervention.

For more information contact Sara Lewis:
Tel: 07912 480 704
Email: Sara.Lewis@Towerhamlets.gov.uk