Reflections on Working for Children's Social Services in the United Kingdom‪.‬

Abstract This paper comments on my experience as an American clinical social worker who worked for a year as a consultant to the Fostering Support Team and a group of foster parents in Ealing, a densely populated and culturally diverse borough of London. Over time, it became apparent that the strengths and weaknesses of both systems had much in common; my reflections in this article are more descriptive than comparative. There is discussion of the dearth of psychotherapists available to treat children who are in care in Ealing. Also, facts about the emergence of social services in the wake of the Industrial Revolution are put into historical context. Additionally, the efforts to establish and implement goals that have been outlined by the government and adopted by Ealing's fostering and social services are discussed.