ABSTRACT

This chapter explores some of the tensions inherent in the role of the keyworker, examine the different facets of the role and suggest some aids to effectiveness. Working Together specifies that one of the tasks of the Area Child Protection Committee (ACPC) is to produce local procedural handbooks which should be concerned mainly with inter-agency procedures in child protection practice, rather than with the details of professional practice. The keyworker is also expected to ensure that parents and children are clear about the process, the causes for concern and the roles and remits of everyone involved. In reality there is much confusion and lack of clarity about the nature and extent of the role, with social workers often feeling overwhelmed by all that is expected of them. The core group is a diverse collection of professionals who come together and engage in a crucial and intricate piece of work, within the complex framework that is the child protection system.