The Department for Education (DfE) has published a review into the role of social work in the decision-making process for mother and baby unit (MBU) applications in England and Wales. The DfE reviewed 39 rejected applications and found 25 cases came to a decision likely to be in the child’s best interest. Recommendations made include: the MBU Board should have a whole family assessment conducted by a local authority child and family social care service to inform their decision; and more information on prison settings, MBUs and training opportunities should be available to social workers and provided to local authorities. An in-depth thematic review of the information considered by the review was also published by What Works for Children’s Social Care.
Read the research: Applications to mother and baby units in prison: how decisions are made and the role of social work
Read the thematic review: A review of the applications to mother and baby units in prisons
Source: DfE
Date: 25 November 2022
