Recurring concern
Unreliable access to required social-worker support
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Request correctionFirst reported 28 Dec 2014•Latest report 29 Jan 2025
What this concern includes
Includes failures of social-worker support provision or access for people who require it, including unavailable or unreachable allocated workers without an effective alternative contact and delayed or absent appointment or allocation of a social worker.
Not included
- Excludes community-care assessments, care-package provision and other downstream social-care processes unless the asserted unsafe condition is specifically lack of access to required social-worker support.
- Excludes generic telephone, communication or escalation failures where no social-worker support or allocation function is involved.
- Excludes general shortages or service-capacity concerns without a direct failure to provide access to a required social worker.
- Excludes failures concerning non-social-work advisers or specialist services unless the report explicitly connects them to the same social-worker support arrangement.
- Reports
- 6
- Individual concerns
- 6
- Date range
- 2014–2025
- Stated actions
- 11
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide an out-of-hours social worker welfare check on the day of discharge
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
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Action
Provide same-day Enablement Care Officer visits after discharge to assess care suitability and escalate changes.
Stated by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and London Borough of Lewisham -
Action
Provide next-day out-of-hours welfare calls by a therapist or social worker for patients discharged between 5pm and 8pm.
Stated by Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust and London Borough of Lewisham
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Concerns raised1
Delayed appointment of a social worker
This report raised 12 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Require Child and Family Assessments and continued Social Care involvement for every young person admitted to a Tier 4 inpatient bed.
Stated by Essex County Council
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
The acknowledged shortcomings were not causation or contributory factors in Molly’s death.
Stated by Essex County Council
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Concerns raised1
Failure to provide an accessible alternative contact when a personal advisor or social worker is unavailable
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
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Action
Advise young adults immediately when their allocated Personal Advisor is off long-term sick, providing the Team Manager’s name and Duty contact number.
Stated by Kent County Council -
Action
Require the relevant staff member to add a mobile-phone voice message identifying whom to contact during their absence.
Stated by Kent County Council -
Action
Ensure an out-of-office email reply is added when a staff member is absent on a long-term basis.
Stated by Kent County Council
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Concerns raised1
Delays in appointing social workers to vulnerable persons
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Concerns raised1
Absence of a designated social worker overseeing care
This report raised 9 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
Local authorities are accountable for meeting statutory Care Act duties, including conducting regular care-plan reviews.
Stated by Helen Whatley MP
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Concerns raised1
Delays in allocating a named social worker and escalating allocation difficulties
This report raised 27 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
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Action
Maintain social-worker staffing levels and smaller caseloads to support allocation of a worker to every looked-after child.
Stated by London Borough of Tower Hamlets -
Action
Monitor worker allocation through monthly management reports and require urgent investigation when vulnerable children appear unallocated.
Stated by London Borough of Tower Hamlets -
Action
Remind managers to complete case transfers efficiently and maintain an identified key worker for every case.
Stated by London Borough of Tower Hamlets
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Action
Operate an escalation policy using management alerts for failures to implement looked-after children’s plans, including social-worker allocation.
Stated by London Borough of Tower Hamlets -
Action
Operate a YOT escalation policy for reporting shortcomings in other agencies to management, with annual management review and monitoring.
Stated by Medway Council (Youth Offending Team
Data last updated 7 September 2026