This session will explore the impact of the language used in written records about children, from the perspective of a social worker who accessed her own care files as an adult. It will consider how we can move away from oppressive language that stigmatises and blames children, towards a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach

Attendees will leave with practical tools to strengthen their recording skills, a better understanding of children’s rights to access their records, and insights from lived experience that can have a lasting impact on their practice

Learning objectives

• Adopt a more trauma-informed approach to case note records in children’s social care
• Develop an understanding of the socio-emotional impact of accessing records from a care leaver perspective
• Learn how to balance fact, observation, and evidence-gathering with a child-centred approach
• Increase knowledge around care leaver rights and entitlements, including how best to support young people submitting Subject Access Requests

This session will be led by Rebekah Pierre.