Decision-making is central to the role of an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP), especially in Wales where the practice is shaped by both UK-wide legislation and devolved Welsh policies. AMHPs are expected to uphold human rights and ensure that any intervention is the least restrictive option. Their decisions protect individuals from unnecessary or inappropriate detention. AMHPs make decisions about whether someone should be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. These decisions have serious implications for a person’s liberty, autonomy, and treatment.
Type of work and clients:
Complaints, Advocacy, Coaching / mentoring of parents (families), Coaching / mentoring of social workers, Court assessments, Direct work with families and carers, Direct work with service users, Expert witness, Family assessment, Private / independent sector, Quality assurance, Supervision, Training and tutoring
Professional registrations:
Social Work England
Skills include:
Independent Social Worker specialising in Form F, fostering, connected persons, PAMS/ParentAssess, CUBAS, parenting and risk assessments, plus QA, audits, reviews and investigations, delivering clear, robust analysis.
Type of work and clients:
Coaching / mentoring of social workers, Court assessments, Direct work with families and carers, Direct work with service users, Inter-agency working, Local authority departments, Private / independent sector, Solicitors
Professional registrations:
Scottish Social Services Council
Skills include:
As a an experienced children and families social worker with almost 30 years experience in local authority social work, I have a wide range of experience specialising in immigration, trafficking and human rights social work.
Type of work and clients:
Coaching / mentoring of social workers, Direct work with service users, Inter-agency working, Placements, Research, Review and evaluation, Strategy, Supervision, Training and tutoring, Voluntary sector
Professional registrations:
Social Work England
Skills include:
Working with and caring for children who are unaccompanied and seeking asylum and children who have been trafficked, undertaking assessments, training and developing Social Workers and their Managers, coaching, mentoring and supervision.
Type of work and clients:
Court assessments, Direct work with families and carers, Direct work with service users, Expert witness, Family assessment, Inter-agency working, Practice assessment
Professional registrations:
Social Work England
Skills include:
Polish–English bilingual. Expert in cross-border family assessment; parenting, kinship/SGO, sibling, Section 7 & age assessments. Court-ready analysis, safeguarding, MI; skilled Practice Educator.
Type of work and clients:
Advocacy, Coaching / mentoring of parents (families), Coaching / mentoring of social workers, Court assessments, Direct work with families and carers, Direct work with service users, Expert witness, Family assessment, Inter-agency working, Local authority departments, Placements, Practice assessment, Practice teaching, Private / independent sector, Quality assurance, Review and evaluation, Supervision, Therapeutic work, Training and tutoring, Universities / learning & training bodies
Professional registrations:
Social Work England
Skills include:
Enthusiastic, highly knowledgeable and experienced Social Worker with extensive experience working with children and families and within Adult Social Care.
Type of work and clients:
Complaints, Family assessment, Private / independent sector, Review and evaluation
Professional registrations:
Social Work England
Skills include:
I am very organised, detail-oriented and flexible, delivering all work to an excellent standard and promoting effective outcomes. I can build positive working relationships with the families I work with and other professionals.
Type of work and clients:
Coaching / mentoring of social workers, Inter-agency working, NHS organisations, Private / independent sector, Supervision, Voluntary sector
Professional registrations:
Social Work England
Skills include:
Mental health support for young people; education-based mental health support; working with asylum seekers and refugees; somatic trauma therapy; group and individual supervision; team management;
Type of work and clients:
Advocacy, Coaching / mentoring of parents (families), Coaching / mentoring of social workers, Court assessments, Direct work with families and carers, Direct work with service users, Expert witness, Family assessment, Inter-agency working, Practice assessment, Practice teaching, Supervision
Professional registrations:
Social Work England
Skills include:
ParentAssess Trained. Extensive experience undertaking parenting assessments. CP Chair experience. Practice Educator in training.
Dr Awais Mashkoor will join this session to discuss his work supporting integration authorities.
The panel is jointly run by the Scottish Association of Social Work, the Office of the Chief Social Work Adviser, and Social Work Scotland. The panel was created to bring together experienced frontline workers, newly qualified workers, students and policy makers in Government to address the issues affecting social work today. It is an opportunity to influence those policy makers and the future of social work with your experience and knowledge.