Social Work Week 2026: Supporting social workers to protect children and families

Each year, Social Work Week – organised by Social Work England – provides an opportunity to recognise the vital contribution social workers make to communities across the UK.

Taking place from 16-20 March, the aim of the week is to promote conversations about the profession and highlight the positive impact social workers can have on the lives of vulnerable individuals and families.

This year’s programme explores several important themes, including data and insight, innovation, education and training, professional identity, and safe and effective practice – all of which reflect the evolving nature of social work and the importance of collaboration, learning, and evidence-based decision-making.

Here, we take a close look at the vital role of social workers in the UK.

The role of social workers in safeguarding children and families

Social workers play a central role in protecting vulnerable children and supporting families facing complex challenges, working within local authorities and with partner organisations to assess risk, provide support and ensure that children and vulnerable people can live in safe, stable environments.

In safeguarding cases, social workers often work with families experiencing a wide range of difficulties, from financial hardship to mental health concerns, domestic abuse, or even substance misuse.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assessing the safety and wellbeing of children through home visits and safeguarding investigations
• Working with parents and carers to develop plans that prioritise the child’s best interests
• Coordinating with professionals across healthcare, education, and law enforcement
• Preparing reports and providing recommendations to the family courts during care proceedings

Because these decisions can have life-changing consequences for children and families, social workers must balance compassion and support with professional judgement, ensuring safeguarding decisions are informed, proportionate, and focused on achieving the best possible outcomes.

The importance of evidence and data in social work practice

Social workers rely on evidence and data from multiple sources to build a clear and accurate picture of a family’s circumstances and, in turn, make informed safeguarding decisions.

This focus on evidence is reflected in one of the key themes of this year’s Social Work Week – data and insight.

By combining professional expertise with objective information, social workers can make more informed decisions that prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and families.

Evidence used in these assessments can come from a range of sources, including:

• Home visits and professional observations
• Medical and mental health assessments
• School reports or educational records
• Police or safeguarding referrals
• Information shared by other professionals involved in the case

In some circumstances, laboratory testing can also form part of the evidence considered, providing clarity in situations where a parent or carer is suspected of abusing drugs or alcohol, or where a child’s parentage is in question.

By reviewing evidence from multiple sources, social workers can ensure that safeguarding decisions are fair, transparent, and based on the most complete and accurate information available.

This is especially important during family court proceedings, where clear and reliable evidence is essential.

DNA, drug and alcohol testing in safeguarding and family court cases

Where laboratory testing is required, it is typically used to support a broader safeguarding assessment.

Although it only provides one piece of the evidential picture, testing can help clarify situations where important questions remain about a child or vulnerable person’s circumstances.

• Drug or alcohol testing may be used where there are concerns about a parent’s or carer’s substance use, helping to identify patterns of misuse or providing evidence to support risk assessments or ongoing monitoring.

  Examples of drug and alcohol tests that can be used to for social work assessments and safeguarding decisions include hair drug testing and hair alcohol testing, nail drug testing and nail alcohol testing, oral fluid drug testing, urine drug testing, blood alcohol testing, breath alcohol testing and SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring (CAM)®.

• DNA testing may be needed where there is uncertainty about a child’s biological parentage (often paternity) to help inform decisions around parental responsibility, care arrangements or wider family support networks.

For the results of these tests to be used in legal proceedings, the sample collection must be performed under strict chain of custody conditions, ensuring the samples are collected in the correct way from the right people, with full documentation of the process.

This helps ensure the test results are reliable and suitable for use in family court.

Specialist laboratories like AlphaBiolabs work closely with social workers, local authorities and family law professionals to provide court-admissible testing and clear, detailed reports, ensuring social work professionals have access to the scientific evidence they need to support decision making.

Learn more: Hair drug testing for court

Learn more: Hair alcohol testing for court

Recognising the role of social workers and supporting safeguarding decisions

Social Work Week provides an opportunity to recognise the dedication and resilience of social workers across the UK, who are often tasked with making complex decisions designed to protect children, support families, and improve outcomes for vulnerable people in our communities.

However, this work does not happen in isolation, with social workers often collaborating with professionals across healthcare, law enforcement and the legal system to build a full understanding of a family’s situation.

Laboratory testing can also form part of this wider collaboration, with accredited laboratories like AlphaBiolabs providing fast, accurate, reliable drug, alcohol and DNA testing in support of safeguarding cases and family court proceedings.

We have over 20 years’ experience providing testing services direct from our UKAS 17025-accredited UK laboratory.

Here are just a few more reasons why social workers across the UK trust AlphaBiolabs for court-approved drug, alcohol and DNA testing services:

• Rapid results
• User-friendly reports accepted in every UK family court
• Widest range of sample types analysed for drugs and alcohol, including hair, nails, blood, oral fluid and urine
• Breath alcohol testing and SCRAM CAM® also available
• Member of the Society of Hair Testing with analysis carried out to internationally recognised standards
• Complete range of DNA relationship tests including paternity, non-invasive prenatal paternity (NIPP testing), maternity, sibling, aunt/uncle, grandparent, and extended family testing (including cousins)
• All pricing within Legal Aid Agency rates
• UK-wide network of experienced sample collectors trained to work with vulnerable children and families, with a strong understanding of the sensitivities involved in complex family cases
• FREE sample collection for legally-instructed tests from our nationwide walk-in centres
• Sample collections from any location within 24-48 hours of instruction
• Expert advice and a dedicated Case Manager to fully manage your instruction
• Our Price Promise: we’ll beat any like-for-like quote by a further 10%

Are you a social worker looking for laboratory testing support for your case?

Contact our New Enquiry team on 0333 600 1300 / testing@alphabiolabs.com or complete our online quote form, and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your requirements.