Learning from lockdown: Social work and child protection during COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis is presenting governments, social work leaders, managers and child protection practitioners with unique challenges.

This webinar will draw on research that has been studying how social work and social care practices that have relied on achieving closeness to keep children safe and help families have been managing social distancing and other challenges at a time of increased stress and risks of harm within families.

The webinar will:

• Share emerging findings about how COVID-19, lockdown and the ebbing and flowing of restrictions has disrupted child protection work.
• Consider how the risk of infection and constraints of social distancing have introduced new challenges for social workers and social work organisations.
• Share learning from lockdown about creative responses and what can best be achieved when significant local and national restrictions are re-introduced.

Join us as we consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child protection. By reflecting on the lessons of the recent past, we hope to help ensure the best possible response to an uncertain future.

This webinar will be facilitated by Professor Harry Ferguson (University of Birmingham), Professor Sarah Pink (Monash University) and Dr Laura Kelly (University of Birmingham).

Find out more about our research on Child protection and social distancing