The main aim for the social work department is to make sure that children and young people can be cared for at home. A lot of support is available to help parents to be able to safely and properly care for their children. Removing a child or young person from home is always the last resort and will only happen if it looks like it is unsafe for that child or youing person to stay there.

The social work department becomes involved with children, young people and their families for a variety of reasons. Most of these have nothing to do with abuse or neglect. However when someone does alert the social work department about something that might mean a child or young person is being abused or neglected, the department has a legal duty to look into that. In other words, it cannot decide to do nothing.

Once it is told about concerns for the child or young person, the social work department will, along with colleagues in police, education, health and other services that are involved, decide what the best way of helping that child or young person might be.

The social work department also works with people who have been convicted of offences, including those convicted of offences against children and young people. When the person has child care responsibilities, the social work department will assess whether there are any risks for the children and young people being cared for.

Working alongside colleagues in the police, the social work department has a responsibility to carry out assessments of offenders whose names are registered in terms of the Sex Offenders Act 1997.