Guidance and support

DfE defines children with a social worker (CHwSW) as children who’ve been assessed as needing support under Section 17 or Section 47 of the Children Act.

This means children placed on a child in need (CIN) or child protection (CP) plan. 

DfE says any child who has previously been known to social care on a CIN or CP plan in the last 6 years is part of this group. That is because children who’ve been known to social care often face some barriers to learning and need extra education support even once social care has stepped away. 

For more information on CHwSW for school and parents and carers download the following FAQ documents: 

• FAQs for schools and other professionals working with children with a social worker (Word, 64KB)
• FAQs for parents and carers of children with a social worker (Word, 72KB)​
• Guidance for schools when promoting the education of children with a social worker (Word, 43KB)