Children and Families Social Work Service

Social Workers and Support Workers work with children, young people, and their families, when there are concerns about their wellbeing. children, young people and their parents or carers can refer to the service when they need additional support.

• Working alongside children and young people and their families or carers to make sure they grow up Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, and Included. We call this SHANARRI wellbeing indicators.   
• We carry out assessment of children and young people’s needs taking into consideration protective factors in their lives, any vulnerabilities that need to be supported, adversities they may have experienced and take account of risks that need to be addressed. 
• We include children and young people and their parents and carers in planning the best possible interventions to ensure their wellbeing. 
• If it is not possible for children and young people to remain with their families, we will plan for them to be cared for in another family. We promote children and young people to stay in touch and spend time with their families where it is safe to do so. Our aim is always to plan for children and young people to return to their families if this is assessed to be in their best interests.  
• We work closely with the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, sometimes known as the ‘children’s reporter’. We support children, young people and their families or carers to attend children’s hearings if required. 
• We work closely with agencies such as Schools, Health, Police, Voluntary Services e.g. Relationship Scotland, Advocacy, Women’s Aid, Action for Children. 

They are committed to our children and young people growing up in Orkney and strive to make sure that the best interests of children and young people are paramount in any decision making about their lives by promoting and advocating their views and rights. 

You can contact them from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm by calling 01856 873535 and asking for the Duty Social Worker. You can also contact them at other times on 01856 888000.  This will take you to The Balfour Hospital switchboard then you ask for the Emergency Social Worker.