Revolutionizing Social Work Practice in the Turks and Caicos Islands

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND CHILDREN SERVICES

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands 18 June 2025 – Social Workers from the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), formerly the Department of Social Development and Welfare, Attend the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Conference and Gain Valuable Work Exposure at Surrey County Council, United Kingdom.

A dedicated group of social workers, along with the Deputy Director from the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), recently attended the prestigious British Association of Social Workers (BASW) Conference 2025 under the theme “Shaping Our Future: Promoting Innovation, Inclusion and the Social Worker’s Voice for Change”, held in Manchester, United Kingdom. The event provided an invaluable platform for social workers to engage with experts, discuss key challenges, and explore innovative solutions in the field of family and child welfare. A highlight of the visit included a special engagement with Janet Darby, the United Kingdom’s Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing.

The conference, known for its focus on advancing social work practice and policy globally, allowed DFCS staff to collaborate with colleagues from across the UK, exchange best practices, and gain insight into emerging trends in social work—especially in child protection and family support. The team attended a variety of sessions covering topics such as the role of social workers in disaster response, working with unaccompanied asylum seekers and making age assessment decisions, the use of artificial intelligence in social work, and community-oriented practices.

In addition to attending the conference, the team had the valuable opportunity to gain work exposure at the Safeguarding and Family Resilience Unit within Surrey County Council. This hands-on experience enabled DFCS social workers to observe and learn from Surrey’s best practices in safeguarding children and supporting families in crisis. The exposure focused on key areas including child exploitation (contextual safeguarding), foster care, family safeguarding conferencing, youth justice assessments, and the use of safeguarding assessment toolkits.

Surrey County Council’s social work teams provided a dynamic environment for the DFCS team to deepen their understanding of complex case management, inter-agency collaboration, and early help intervention strategies for families.

“We are thrilled to be a part of these significant opportunities,” said Aprit Thomas, Deputy Director of the Department of Family and Children Services. “Attending the BASW Conference and working alongside the talented professionals at Surrey County Council has been a crucial step in our ongoing effort to enhance the quality of care and services we provide to children and families in our community. We are committed to applying the knowledge and strategies we have gained to create a positive, lasting impact in the lives of those we serve.”

The Hon, Shaun D. Malcolm, Minister responsible for DFCS stated, “The significance of DFCS’s participation in the BASW Conference and the Surrey County Council exposure visit cannot be overstated. As the Turks and Caicos Islands begins to revolutionize social work practice—dedicating a deeper and more concentrated workforce to address the increasingly complex social challenges among families and children—social workers must be equipped with modern, research-informed approaches and tools to effectively respond. Exposure to international standards, emerging technologies, and evidence-based practices is vital to strengthening the professional capacity and ethical resilience of our local workforce. Attending these events directly supports the professionalization and modernization of social work in the Turks and Caicos Islands, helping to align our territory’s services with global best practices while tailoring them to the unique cultural and community contexts of the Islands.”

The Department of Family and Children Services is dedicated to continuous professional development and ensuring that its social workers have access to the latest research, resources, and training. This collaboration with Surrey County Council will continue to strengthen DFCS’s ability to provide expert support to families and better equip social workers to navigate the complexities of their roles in child protection. The Department remains committed to supporting and protecting vulnerable families and children, while working collaboratively with a variety of local organizations, community groups, and agencies to provide comprehensive services and ensure the safety and well-being of children in our community. This exposure marks only the beginning of efforts to bring the Turks and Caicos Islands in alignment with global social work standards.

For more information and to follow our transition from the Department of Social Development and Welfare to the Department of Family and Children Services, please visit our website: www.gov.tc/dsd or email us at infodsd@gov.tc.

Contact Numbers:
Providenciales: 1-649-338-4008
Grand Turk: 1-649-338-2684
North & Middle Caicos: 1-649-338-6411/12
South Caicos: 1-649-338-6321

 To report a safeguarding matter or concern to this department, kindly contact:
MASH: 1-649-338-4013
Email: mash@gov.tc | reportabusetci@gov.tc

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