Today I joined our Director of Children’s Services in a walk around the Children’s Services floor in the Woolwich Centre. We were there to judge the all-important Christmas decorations competition. The prizes are small (tubs of Quality Street) but the glory lasts all year. Children’s Services includes teams who administer school applications, provide transport for children with SEND, child protection, social work teams, the virtual school, ECHPs and lots of other vital tasks.
Many of the teams know exactly who won a prize last year and are determined to beat them. Walking round I was lobbied skilfully by a social worker who advised me her team were neglected underdogs, due their rightful recognition at last. One team had Christmas blessings written in every language spoken in our borough. Another had made a natural display that smelt of oranges and cloves. If the government can’t supply enough lateral flow tests we might end up using this as a proxy Covid19 detector: if you can’t smell the cloves, go home and isolate.
The teams know who won last year because we have so many long serving members of staff in Royal Greenwich. We make good use of excellent agency staff, as needed, but many core staff have been working for the children of our borough for years. To work for Children’s Services you need qualifications and strong communication skills, but most importantly you need compassion for children. Our staff keep going and keep fighting for children no matter what happens.
This year the Royal Greenwich employee of the year award went to a social worker. She had dropped holiday plans to care for children arriving unaccompanied from Afghanistan. Another social worker was contacted by a young person in crisis: the trust a young person placed in someone who had been on their side in the past probably saved their life. Sadly children do come to harm; we have had heart-breaking tragedies in our borough. But the hard work and dedication of our social workers makes so much difference. In a world that can be cruel, I am so grateful for the wonderful people across all the teams in Royal Greenwich Children’s Services.
If you or anyone you know needs help the Greenwich Community Hub is just a phone call away. They have been working since the beginning of the pandemic to support anyone who can’t get out and about. They can also put you in touch with a whole range of services, or just someone to have a chat with if you are feeling a bit down. There’s a link here with contact details.
I need help | Community Hub | Royal Borough of Greenwich (royalgreenwich.gov.uk)
You can also report concerns about a child on the link below
Some Children’s Services staff will be on rota to work over the holiday period. I hope that everyone gets a well deserved rest and a chance to enjoy themselves. I can also report that the team who lobbied to win a prize on the grounds they had previously been overlooked, did indeed win. They will need a new angle next year!
Matt Morrow 