A social worker makes a home visit to a family following concerns of neglect highlighted by the school.
Using NICE guidance in social work: scenarios for principal social workers
We've produced a number of example scenarios featuring fictional situations and people
They can help principal social workers (PSWs) understand how to put our guidelines and quality standards into practice.
About NICE guidelines and quality standards
Our guidelines focus on a particular topic or setting and provide a comprehensive set of recommendations for action.
Our quality standards focus on areas of variation in practice and can be used to measure improvement or demonstrate good quality.
We've also produced example scenarios for social workers.
Example scenarios for principal social workers
These example scenarios feature fictional situations and people. They show how NICE guidance could be used by principal social workers.
Principal social workers - adults
An elected member questions what level of priority should be given to co-production at a strategic level, considering current pressures on the council's budget.
The Local Safeguarding Board asks each partner to evaluate how they have implemented principles from the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 in relation to capacity assessments and best interest decisions.
Principal social workers - children
A local placement resource panel has asked to see evidence of how the looked-after children’s team encourages children and young people to develop their personal identity.
Parents and young people on a children’s services co-production group have highlighted that there isn’t always a single person coordinating support for children as they transition to adult services.
A council has been criticised for the way that it supports asylum seekers. In particular there have been instances of racist bullying at school which have appeared in the national press.
Positive workplaces for social workers
A local council is struggling to retain social workers. Analysis of exit interviews shows high levels of sickness absence and negative impact on mental health and wellbeing due to the emotional pressures of the role.
A council's human resources department has raised a number of concerns about the way that absence and performance issues are being managed within social work teams. Completion of practice supervisor self-assessments by team managers has highlighted inconsistencies in the training and support they have received.
A local council is proposing to relocate locality teams to a number of health centres, as part of a new integrated support service. The team managers are aware that the proposed changes are impacting negatively on the wellbeing of many of the team. They are concerned this might undermine their professional identity.
Case study: using NICE to support evidence-based practice
Rachel Scourfield is a consultant social worker at Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. In this case study, Rachel outlines the work she’s been doing to embed NICE's evidence-based recommendations.