Farida Patel

NAME Farida Patel
JOB Social worker, child protection
AREA OF WORK Children and families
EMPLOYER London Borough of Waltham Forest
QUALIFICATIONS BA social work (DipSW), Middlesex University (2003)

I specialised in children and families so when a vacancy in this area was advertised on the Waltham Forest website, I jumped at the chance to join the team. I filled in an application form, attended a panel interview and joined in 2004.

My job is to work in partnership with children and their parents to ensure that they receive the support they need and are kept informed. I manage a caseload varying in complexity and could be working with children on the child protection register, children looked after by foster parents, or 'children in need’ cases where children may be at risk if their families do not receive the support they need.

My day will involve completing paperwork and visiting service users to monitor their progress. If I feel that a child is at significant risk from harm or it is difficult to engage with parents making protection of the child difficult, I may also need to go to court. I typically work nine till five but if an emergency happens at four I have a duty to investigate the claims to make sure the child is not at risk.

My most unforgettable moment

…was when I was assaulted by a fifteen year old. Her parents had poor parenting skills and the only way she knew how to show emotion was to physically or verbally lash out. I did press charges because I needed to teach her that there were consequences for her actions but I also learned not to be too judgemental, as she had observed this behaviour from her only role models.