Social Work
Social workers respond to crises and emergencies as well as to everyday personal and social problems. Social work interventions include counselling, clinical social work, group work, social educational work, family treatment and therapy as well as efforts to help people obtain services and resources in their community.
In the Trust, social workers work across children’s services, learning disability, physical disability, elderly care and mental health.
Hospital Social Work
A hospital social work service is available for hospital in-patients, patients attending Emergency Departments and day patients attending for chemotherapy and haemodialysis.
Social workers can help provide advice and support to you and your family during your stay in hospital. They also assess your needs and arrange for practical support when you are discharged.
The service is provided at Antrim Area Hospital, Causeway Hospital and Whiteabbey Hospital, between Monday – Friday from 9am – 5pm. Limited Social Work services are provided at weekends at Antrim Area and Causeway hospitals from 9 am – 5pm.
Family Assessment Centres
Family Assessment Services provide a special place for families and individuals who need further specialist assessments. They would be referred for this service from their allocated children’s social workers.
The Service aims to support families, enhance their skills in parenting and address specific concerns identified by referring social workers. Social work teams would carry out a balance of preventative, assessment and therapeutic work and aim to work collaboratively and in partnership with service users and other professionals.
Northern Trust Family Centres are located in Cookstown, Coleraine, Magherafelt and Newtownabbey.
Cookstown:
2 Westland Road, Cookstown, BT80 8BX
028 8672 3933
Coleraine:
7f Castlerock Road, Coleraine, BT51 3HP
028 7032 5456
Magherafelt:
62 Hospital Road, Magherafelt BT45 5EG
028 7936 5097
Newtownabbey:
1 Innis Walk, Newtownabbey, BT37 9NA
028 7930 5960
Gateway to Children’s Social Work Service
Gateway is a Social Work service for children and families. They are the first point of contact for children or young persons in need of assistance or support.
The Gateway team visit children, young people and their families in their own homes, to assess what they need. They link with children and families to see what support is needed and and ensure everyone involved with a child can contribute to the assessment of the child and his or her family.
The Gateway team are onhand to ensure there is an immediate response to sageguard children in need of protection. The Social Workers will speak to other professionals involved with the family to ensure their views are included in the assessment. They also refer families to locally based services where support is needed.
The Gateway team aim to complete all assessments within 10 working days and will keep professionals and families informed throughout the process. Gateway social services is also there to ensure children and families who continue to need a social work service are transferred to their local Family Support and Intervention team for on-going involvement.
Referral Gateway Team
If you are concerned about the a child or young person, who is not already known to Social Services, the first point of contact should be made to the Referral Gateway Team.
Referral Gateway will respond promptly by gathering information and will pass the refer all to the local gateway team, should it be determined that a social work assessment is required.
Contact details for the Referral Gateway Team:
Oriel House, 2-8 Castle Street, Antrim, BT41 4JE
Telephone: 0300 1234 333 or 028 9442 4459
Email: SPOE.Referrals@northerntrust.hscni.net
