Skip to main content
Home
Menu Close

Utility menu

  • Why join BASW
  • Events
  • Media Centre

Popular on BASW

Campaigning and influencing
World social work day
Social work stands against poverty
People with lived experience
Career stages
Cost of living crisis

Main navigation

  • About social work
    • What is social work?
    • Topics in social work
    • Professional Social Work (PSW) Magazine
  • Careers
    • Become a social worker
    • Returning to social work
    • For employers
    • Specialisms
    • Career stages
    • Jobs board
    • Work for BASW
  • About BASW
    • Campaigning and influencing
    • Governance
    • Social work around the UK
    • Awards
    • Social work conferences UK
    • International Work
    • Feedback, suggestions & complaints
  • Training & CPD
    • Professional Development
    • Professional Capabilities Framework
    • Let's Talk Social Work Podcast
  • Policy & Practice
    • Resources
    • National policies
    • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
    • Working with...
    • Research and knowledge
    • Standards
  • Support
    • Advice & representation
    • Social Workers Union (SWU)
    • Social Work Professional Support Service (SWPSS)
    • Independent social workers
    • Student Hub
    • Financial support
    • Groups and networks
    • Membership renewals
    • How to contact us

BASW member Melanie Adegbite follows up BBC TV appearance with strong message to government

Earlier this week, at the request of the BBC, BASW arranged for member Melanie Adegbite to appear on BBC London's evening news to take part in a piece about the tragic death of Noah Serra-Morrison.

The 13-month old was found dead in Luton on 21 November 2015 after suffering 15 fractures to his body, including a 6in (15cm) wound across his skull, inflicted by his mother's partner.

A serious case review followed, which found serious failings from social workers and local authorities, and was specifically critical about a lack of communication between agencies.

Adegbite spoke briefly on the show about the wider implications of the report expressing her own views that burdensome red-tape holds social workers back from spending more time in the 'field' doing “actual social work and building relationships with other agencies”.

BASW decided to catch up with Adegbite to see what else can be learned from this tragic case.

“The lack of cohesive communication between agencies was clearly a major problem. But we need to look at the bigger picture. In essence, we need to have relationship building models to improve communication and foster partnership between inter-service agencies,” says Adegbite.

“This means we need an overarching structure that realises the importance of communication between social workers, health workers, GP services and the police, to ensure the whole caring community is better equipped to ensure these tragedies don't happen.”

It is a point that BASW CEO Ruth Allen emphasises too: “If there were more consistent, well-resourced early help, with value being given to professional relationship building and robust early efforts to understand what is really happening in families, and if social workers' views and judgements were listened to more consistently, this would improve support for children in these risky situations.”

The serious case review highlighted how the family moved around frequently between London boroughs, before ending up in Luton.

It is a pattern that Allen says is increasing due to the housing crisis, and one which unfortunately makes social work in cases such as these even more difficult.

“When people move home several times with small children, and where there are risk factors such a domestic violence, there will always be the chance of services losing touch or information being lost in translation across borders. Greater pressure on housing make moving home more likely for the poorest families – and this in turn makes follow up and continuity harder to achieve,” says Allen.For Adegbite the message to the government is loud and clear: less red-tape, more social work.

“This government has introduced more red-tape and bureaucracy, on top of overburdened caseloads, that it means social workers don't get to spend the time required with families and children to make better informed decisions,” says Adegbite.

“Doing paperwork won't stop children dying, we need to be out on the street engaging and observing families and children, as well as building relationships with schools, doctors and police.”

Article type
News
Specialism
Children and families

Join us for amazing benefits

Become a member

Have a question?

Contact us

BASW: By your side, every step of the way

British Association of Social Workers is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England. 

Company number: 00982041

Wellesley House, 37 Waterloo Street, 
Birmingham, B2 5PP
+44 (0) 121 622 3911

Contact us

Follow us

Copyright ©2023 British Association of Social Workers | Site by Agile Collective | Privacy Policy

  • About social work
    • What is social work?
      • What social workers do
      • People with lived experience
      • Regulators & professional registration
      • World Social Work Day
    • Topics in social work
    • Professional Social Work (PSW) Magazine
      • Digital editions
      • Guidance for contributors
      • PSW articles
      • Advertising
  • Careers
    • Become a social worker
    • Returning to social work
    • For employers
    • Specialisms
    • Career stages
      • Self-Employed Social Workers
        • Your tax affairs working through umbrella service companies
      • Agency and locum social work
    • Jobs board
    • Work for BASW
      • BASW Council vacancies
      • Finance & Organisational Development Committee members
  • About BASW
    • Campaigning and influencing
      • Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Social Work
      • BASW in Westminster
      • General Election 2024
      • Relationship-based practice
      • Social Work Stands Against Poverty
      • This Week in Westminster | Blog Series
      • UK Covid Inquiry
      • Professional working conditions
      • Housing & Homelessness
    • Governance
      • BASW AGM and general meetings
        • 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM)
        • BASW GM 2025
        • Previous BASW AGMs
      • BASW Council
        • BASW Council biographies
        • BASW Council voting 2025
        • Vacancies on Council and committees 2025
      • Staff
      • Committees
      • BASW and SWU
      • Our history
      • 50 years
      • Special interest, thematic groups and experts
      • Nations
    • Social work around the UK
      • BASW Cymru
        • BASW Cymru Annual Conference 2024
        • Campaigns
      • BASW England
        • Campaigns
          • Homes Not Hospitals
          • Social Work in Disasters
          • 80-20 campaign
          • Review of Children’s Social Care
        • Meet the Team
          • BASW England Welcome Events
        • Our Services
          • Mentoring Service | BASW England
        • Social Work England
      • BASW Northern Ireland
        • About Us
        • Consultation responses
        • Find out about the BASW NI National Standing Committee
        • Political engagement
        • BASW NI & IASW's associate membership
        • BASW NI and Queen’s University Belfast launch affiliate membership
      • SASW (BASW in Scotland)
        • About Us
        • Mental Health Officer's Conference 2025
        • Our Work
          • Cross-Party Group on Social Work (Scotland)
          • Social Work Policy Panel
          • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
          • Supporting refugees
          • Campaigns
        • Coalitions & Partnerships
        • Get Involved
    • Awards
      • Amazing Social Workers
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 1
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 2
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 3
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 4
        • Amazing Social Workers profiles: Week 5
      • The BASW Social Work Journalism Awards
    • Social work conferences UK
      • BASW UK Student Conference 2025
      • Social work conference programme
      • The UK Social Work Conference 2025
        • Tickets and booking
        • Programme
        • Online programme
        • Speakers
        • BASW UK conference poster exhibition
        • Exhibitors
        • Venue and travel
        • Programme
    • International Work
      • Israel and Palestine/Gaza conflict | BASW/SWU Information Hub
      • IFSW and other international social work organisations
      • Influencing social work policy in the Commonwealth
      • Invasion of Ukraine | BASW Information Hub
    • Feedback, suggestions & complaints
  • Training & CPD
    • Professional Development
      • General Taught Skills Programme
      • Student Learning
      • Newly Qualified Social Worker Programme
      • Practice Educator & Assessor Programme
      • Stepping Stones Programme
      • Expert Insight Series
      • Social Work in Disasters online training
        • Module 1: Introduction to Social Work in Disasters (Online training)
        • Module 2: Law, Policy and Best Practice (Social Work In Disasters Training)
        • Module 3: Person-centred and research informed practice within a multi-agency context (Social Work in Disasters Online Training)
        • Module 4: Responding, using theory and self-care (Social Work in Disasters Online Training)
      • Overseas Qualified Social Worker (OQSW) Programme
    • Professional Capabilities Framework
      • About the PCF
      • Point of entry to training
      • Readiness for practice
      • End of first placement
      • End of last placement
      • Newly qualified social worker (ASYE level)
      • Social worker
      • Experienced social worker
      • Advanced social worker
      • Strategic social worker
    • Let's Talk Social Work Podcast
  • Policy & Practice
    • Resources
    • National policies
    • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
    • Working with...
      • Older people
        • Learning resources
        • Useful resources to support social work capabilities with older people
      • Autistic people
        • An introduction to the Capability Statement
        • Capabilities Statement and CPD Pathway: Resources
          • Autistic adults toolkit
            • Autistic adults toolkit introduction
            • Feedback tool
            • Induction tool
            • Introduction to video: Sylvia Stanway - Autistic not broken
            • References
            • Reflective tool
            • The role of the social worker with autistic adults
            • Top tips
          • Organisational self-assessment tool
          • Post-qualifying training programmes
        • The Capabilities Statement for Social Work with Autistic Adults
      • People with learning disabilities
        • Introduction
        • Capabilities Statement and CPD Pathway: Resources
          • People with learning disabilities toolkit
            • People with learning disabilities toolkit introduction
            • Information sheet
            • Top tips
            • Induction tool
            • Reflective tool
            • References
            • Hair tool
          • Organisational self-assessment tool
          • Post-qualifying training programmes
        • The Capabilities for Social Work with Adults who have Learning Disability
    • Research and knowledge
      • Research journals
      • BASW bookshop
    • Standards
      • Code of Ethics
        • BASW Code of Ethics: Launch of 2021 refreshed version webinar
      • Practice Educator Professional Standards (PEPS)
      • Quality Assurance in Practice Learning (QAPL)
  • Support
    • Advice & representation
    • Insurance Cover
    • Social Workers Union (SWU)
    • Social Work Professional Support Service (SWPSS)
      • Become a volunteer coach (SWPSS)
    • Independent social workers
      • Independent member benefits
      • BASW Independents Toolkit
        • Section 1: Foundations for Independent Social Work
        • Section 2: Doing Independent Social Work
        • Section 3: Running your business
        • Section 4: Decisions and transitions
      • BASW Independents directory
      • Independents digital toolkit
      • Social Work Employment Services (SWES)
    • Student Hub
      • BASW Student Ambassador Scheme
    • Financial support
      • International Development Fund (IDF)
    • Groups and networks
      • Special interest groups
        • Alcohol and other drugs Special Interest Group
        • BASW Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group (NSW SIG)
        • Family Group Conferencing (FGC)
        • Project Group on Assisted Reproduction (PROGAR)
        • The Diaspora special interest group
      • Special Interest Group on Social Work & Ageing
      • Independents local networks
      • Local branches (England)
      • Groups and forums (Scotland)
      • Thematic groups (England)
        • Black & Ethnic Minority Professionals Symposium (BPS)
        • Children & Families Group
          • Children & Families Resources Library
          • Disabled Children's Sub-group
        • Criminal Justice Group
        • Emergency Duty Team Group
        • Mental Health Group
        • Professional Capabilities and Development Group
        • Social Work with Adults Group
        • Student & Newly Qualified Group
        • Social Workers in Health Group
      • Communities of Practice (Northern Ireland)
      • Networks (Wales)
    • Membership renewals
    • How to contact us
  • Why join BASW
    • Benefits of joining BASW
      • The BASW UK University Social Work Education Provider Affiliation Scheme
    • Membership Categories
      • Student member
      • Working (qualified less than 5 years) Membership
      • Working (qualified more than 5 years) Membership
      • Independent membership
      • Newly qualified social worker
      • Retired membership
      • Unemployed/unpaid membership
    • Membership FAQs
    • Membership renewals
    • Membership fees
  • Events
  • Media Centre
    • BASW in the media
    • BASW News and blogs