Home » The law and the family and youth justice systems KSS 8

The law and the family and youth justice systems KSS 8

Last updated: 6 June 2023

Photo: Gary Brigden

This page sets out the knowledge and skills listed under KSS 8 (the law and family and youth justice systems) in the Department for Education’s post-qualifying standard: knowledge and skills statement for child and family practitioners (KSS). Against this, we have mapped Community Care Inform guides, research, learning tools and other resources to help social workers meet KSS 8 as part of learning and development during the ASYE, and other career and continuing professional development. The links to the resources are in blue; click to follow them to the page you’re interested in.

What does the statement say?	Resources to help you
A child and family social worker should be able to: • Navigate the family and youth justice systems to support families, to protect children and look after children in the public care system, including the regulatory frameworks that support the full range of permanence options. • Participate in decisions about whether to apply to the family court, the order to be applied for, and the preparation and presentation of evidence. • Seek advice and second opinion as required in relation to legal issues such as immigration, housing, welfare benefits, mental health and learning disability assessment, education and support for children with learning difficulties. • Use the law, regulatory and statutory guidance to inform practice decisions. • Take into account the complex relationship between professional ethics, the application of the law and the impact of social policy on both.	The court skills knowledge and practice hub includes a wide range of legal and practical information including: Family court and proceedings glossary explains the legal terminology and jargon you may come across. A barrister’s tips for giving evidence in the family courts, which includes dealing with challenges in cross examination A judge’s view of what makes for a good social work witnesses Writing effective court reports and balance sheet evidence for different permanence options, plus how to write up direct work An example completed social work evidence template (SWET) Practical tips and answers to common concerns in the appearing in court survival guide CC Inform also provides accessible, updated digests of the legislation that affects your practice such as The Children Act 1989, and Children and Families Act 2014. You can also search the site using the title of any act or set of regulations you are interested in. Guidance on specific legal issues Section 20 placements Special guardianship orders Deprivation of liberty Asylum age assessment The Mental Capacity Act in relation to children and young people Supporting and protecting disabled children Guides to different aspects of housing and homelessness A-Z of welfare benefits Families with no recourse to public funds Homeless young people Writing court reports considers the ethical dimensions around how society defines child abuse, neglect and maltreatment and the power social workers have when gathering and presenting evidence. Interactive supported learning. If you organisation has a workforce licence, you can access interactive quizzes and case scenarios to help you test your knowledge. These include quizzes to test your knowledge on the legal frameworks for fostering and adoption and when working with neglect and domestic abuse. Find out more about supported learning here.

What does the statement say?

Resources to help you

A child and family social worker should be able to:

• Navigate the family and youth justice systems to support families, to protect children and look after children in the public care system, including the regulatory frameworks that support the full range of permanence options.

• Participate in decisions about whether to apply to the family court, the order to be applied for, and the preparation and presentation of evidence.

• Seek advice and second opinion as required in relation to legal issues such as immigration, housing, welfare benefits, mental health and learning disability assessment, education and support for children with learning difficulties.

• Use the law, regulatory and statutory guidance to inform practice decisions.

• Take into account the complex relationship between professional ethics, the application of the law and the impact of social policy on both.

The court skills knowledge and practice hub includes a wide range of legal and practical information including:

Family court and proceedings glossary explains the legal terminology and jargon you may come across.
A barrister’s tips for giving evidence in the family courts, which includes dealing with challenges in cross examination
A judge’s view of what makes for a good social work witnesses
Writing effective court reports and balance sheet evidence for different permanence options, plus how to write up direct work
An example completed social work evidence template (SWET)
Practical tips and answers to common concerns in the appearing in court survival guide

CC Inform also provides accessible, updated digests of the legislation that affects your practice such as The Children Act 1989, and Children and Families Act 2014.
You can also search the site using the title of any act or set of regulations you are interested in.

Guidance on specific legal issues

Writing court reports considers the ethical dimensions around how society defines child abuse, neglect and maltreatment and the power social workers have when gathering and presenting evidence.

Interactive supported learning. If you organisation has a workforce licence, you can access interactive quizzes and case scenarios to help you test your knowledge. These include quizzes to test your knowledge on the legal frameworks for fostering and adoption and when working with neglect and domestic abuse.
Find out more about supported learning here.

Links to resource maps for other parts of the KSS:

1. Relationships and direct work
2. Communication
3. Child development
4. Adult mental & physical health, substance use, domestic abuse
5. Abuse and neglect of children
6. Child and family assessment
7. Analysis, decision-making, planning and review
8. The law and the family and youth justice systems
9. The role of supervision
10. Organisational context

The law and the family and youth justice systems KSS 8

What does the statement say?

Resources to help you

Links to resource maps for other parts of the KSS:

You might be interested in…