Changing People: A Psychological Impossibility - Part 1
This case study presents a comprehensive fictional framework of children's social work in England. All names, places, and specific circumstances are entirely invented using "impossible names" - surnames that don't exist in reality. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual local authorities is purely coincidental.
The purpose of this detailed case study is to explore the reality of professional practice in children's services, examining why the fundamental assumption that professionals can "change" people may be psychologically impossible. Through the experiences of social worker Angie Thokden and her colleagues at Midkwell County Council, we'll witness how the system simultaneously demands and fails at the impossible task of changing others.
Core Team:
Management:
The Six Families:
Setting: Midkwell County Council, Middle England region
Midkwell County Council serves a mixed demographic in the Middle England Region - market towns, rural communities, and pockets of significant deprivation. Children's Services operates on a £78m budget (11% cut over three years), recently improved from "Inadequate" to "Requires Improvement" under Ofsted. Like most authorities, it exists in the messy middle - neither exceptional nor disastrous, creaking but functioning.
Angie Thokden, 34, represents what was until recently the typical children's social worker profile for Middle England (though the profession is rapidly diversifying). White British, married with two children - 7 and 4, she graduated from University of East Anglia in 2013 after working as a care assistant. Now an Advanced Practitioner specialising in neglect and family dysfunction, she earns £42,000 while working 48-52 hours weekly (contracted for 37.5).
Her caseload of 18 children from 6 families reflects the national average, though the complexity exceeds what numbers suggest. She spends 18-20% of her time in direct work with families, 50-55% on recording and administration, and the remainder in meetings. This breakdown, confirmed by research, frustrates her deeply - she became a social worker to help families, not to type.
The Hakdsons exemplify how intervention can work. Single father Martin initially resisted involvement, seeing the neglect referral as criticism. After 18 months of consistent support, the family thrives. Children's attendance rose from 72% to 91%, Martin manages his depression with treatment, and the home is "good enough." They're stepping down to Early Help - a genuine success.
The Pakdens represent chronic dysfunction without deterioration. Raj's alcoholism, denied but obvious, triggers a predictable cycle: drinking, arguments, police involvement, brief improvement, then repetition. Meera won't leave (cultural/financial reasons), eldest son Amit escapes through cannabis, while 13-year-old Kavya holds everyone together. Three years of involvement, no real change.
The Jokdens perfectly play the system. Kelly knows exactly what to say in meetings, attends appointments when on Child Protection plans, completes parenting courses without implementing anything. She genuinely believes she's a good mother while 11-year-old Jayden becomes increasingly violent, 8-year-old Destiny self-harms, and 5-year-old Kenzie remains in nappies. Everyone sees the dysfunction; no one can prove it sufficiently.
The Brekdens spiral despite intervention. Parents Sharon (learning disabilities) and Wayne (opioid dependence) have limited capacity. Son Ryan, 15, is involved in county lines; daughter Lily, 13, faces sexual exploitation. Every intervention backfires - Wayne's arrest for benefit fraud, Sharon's benefits stopped, placements breaking down. The family sees services as the enemy, previous generations having had children removed.
The Copkdens demonstrate class dynamics in safeguarding. IT consultant Martin and teacher Sophie engaged immediately after Sophie's suicide attempt (daughter Olivia found her). With emotional and financial resources, private therapy, and family support, they're closing successfully after eight months. Angie's input was minimal but crucial at the right moment.
The Thomkdens represent every social worker's nightmare. Dean presents narcissistically while Jade dissociates from her trauma history. Blake, 14, tortures animals and abuses his sister Evie, 10, who disclosed then recanted. Archie, 7, shows sexualised behaviour. Despite two years of intensive work, every intervention has been sabotaged. Currently in month eight of care proceedings, the judge is indicating he'll refuse the Care Order, directing "more support" for a family Angie knows is deeply dangerous but too clever for the system.
The Early Help & Family Support Team consists of eight social workers, two family support workers, and one administrator. Team Manager Marcus Hendkson, promoted 18 months ago, manages two teams (16 direct reports) while drowning in meetings and firefighting. Well-meaning but overwhelmed, he shields the team from perhaps 70% of senior management pressure, though they don't realise this.
Sarah Mitqden (Advanced Practitioner, 38): Angie's lifeline. Fourteen years in the same authority, excellent with domestic violence cases. Currently job hunting secretly while providing emotional ballast for the team.
James Flek (Senior Social Worker, 29): The eternal optimist who genuinely helped three families transform this year. His energy isn't just naive - sometimes it makes the difference. Heading for burnout but currently effective.
Donna Wilkdens (Senior Social Worker, 52): Twenty-five years' experience, counting down to retirement. Her cynicism masks continued effectiveness - last month she spotted serious risk others missed, drawing on patterns from a 1998 case.
Mo Pakden (Senior Social Worker, 41): Former teacher turned social worker. Challenges decisions constructively, knows every loophole and funding stream. Gets results through creative compliance.
Katie O'Brekden (Social Worker, 26): Three years qualified, anxious, over-involved. Takes on too much but families love her. Recently achieved breakthrough with stuck family. Will either burn out or become exceptional.
Tom Hakdson (Social Worker, 35): New father, maintains rigid boundaries. Leaves at 5pm exactly, never takes work home. His "good enough" approach provides families with consistency if not inspiration. Team resents and envies him equally.
Priya Shakden (ASYE, 23): Six months qualified, protected caseload, bringing fresh energy. Currently 50/50 whether she'll stay in the profession. The team protects her fiercely - "we were all there once."
This team functions better than most. Strong peer support compensates for systemic failings. They've developed essential survival mechanisms: covering without asking, shared gallows humour, WhatsApp group for real communication, celebrating small victories excessively (compensation for the losses).
The Monday team meeting ritualises their week: Donna arrives late with Costa (power move), James presents slides nobody views, Mo challenges processes, Tom checks phone, Katie takes excessive notes, Marcus tries staying positive while delivering bad news. Yet when crisis hits, they unite.
Their "aggressive sitting" joke from a complaint about Tom has become legend, sustaining them through dark moments. Three minutes of laughter in a team meeting can fuel a week's resilience.
Patricia "Pat" Thornkden CBE (Director, 58): Former teacher, fighting retirement in 18 months. Operates at political level, genuinely cares but profoundly disconnected from frontline reality. Successfully fought off 40% budget cuts, accepted 20%, secured £2m investment. Moved service from "Inadequate" but at considerable human cost.
Rick Okonkbo (Assistant Director, 45): Worked up from frontline, understands reality but caught between political pressures and practice needs. Takes anxiety medication, protects teams more than they know. Reduced agency spend 15% while improving retention - genuine achievements amid chaos.
Jen Hugkden (Service Manager, 39): Promoted beyond competence, manages four teams including Marcus's. Imposter syndrome drives constant firefighting. Learning the role, making mistakes, but improving slowly.
Senior management believes they're "transforming services" through their "improvement journey." Frontline knows it's more cuts disguised as transformation. Everyone maintains elaborate theatre: Pat pretends to the CEO things are improving, Rick pretends to Pat he can deliver, Jen pretends targets are achievable, Marcus pretends teams are coping.
The "Service Development" (restructure by another name) arrives every 2.5 years. Next one imminent - signs everywhere: consultants spotted, "staff engagement" surveys, Pat mentioning "transformation journey." The team knows they'll become "pods" with "practice leads" instead of managers, doing identical work under different labels.
8:00am: Unannounced visit to Hakdsons. House chaotic but happy, kids getting ready for school. Martin in dressing gown, surprised but welcoming. Quick 45-minute check before closure. Martin tearful about case closing - "you saved us". Quick selfie with family for closure report.
8:50am: Rush to office from Hakdsons. Check phone in car park - 47 emails from weekend. Dean Thomkden sent 12 emails (threats about complaint). Ryan Brekden missing again (found at 3am). Duty logged concern about new family.
9:00am: Team Meeting. Marcus announces another restructure consultation. Argue about duty rota (Tom won't do extras). Quick worry pot - everyone worried about Thomkdens court. James shares success story (everyone needs this).
11:00am: Post-meeting catch up. Emails and case recording from morning visit. Sarah at next desk talking about her teenager's GCSE choices. Mo complaining about his boiler breaking over weekend. These normal life moments keep everyone grounded.
12:30pm: Grabbed sandwich in car, call from Jade Thomkden. Claims Dean hit Blake, wants him removed. Then recants, says she was confused. Document everything, call legal team.
1:30pm: Visit Pakdens (Raj at work as planned). Meera hasn't got dressed, Kavya off sick (again). Gentle challenge about Kavya's caring role. Meera cries, promises change (heard it before).
3:00pm: Back to office. Frantic case recording from morning. Katie asks for advice about her complex case. Marcus: "Can you just review this court report?"
4:30pm: Call from school - Jayden Jokden excluded. Kelly screaming down phone about discrimination. School want strategy meeting. Negotiate tomorrow afternoon instead.
5:45pm: Still typing, Priya upset about her case. Quick support, suggest supervision discussion. Email Sophie Copkden - confirm closure next week.
7:00pm: Leave office. Take laptop home. Court statement needs finishing.
9:00pm-11:00pm: Court statement for Thomkdens. Every word will be scrutinised. Triple-check everything.
8:00am: Early start, court prep. Print bundles, check chronology. Anxiety building about hearing.
9:30am: Court for Thomkdens. Dean's barrister aggressive questioning. Judge asks about "further support options". Stomach sinking - he's going to refuse order. Adjourned for 2 weeks for "further evidence".
12:00pm: Debrief with legal team. Guardian equally frustrated. Agree to request another expert. Know it won't change anything.
1:00pm: Rush to office for supervision. Marcus apologises - can only do 45 minutes. Discuss 4 cases in depth. Thomkdens takes 30 minutes alone. Other 14 children get 15 minutes total.
2:30pm: Missed lunch again. Three missed calls from Wayne Brekden. He's slurring, threatening suicide. Call crisis team - they're full.
3:30pm: Strategy meeting for Jayden Jokden (school). Kelly performs perfectly, blames ADHD. School frustrated but no evidence for more. Agree to "monitor" (meaningless).
4:30pm: Visit Brekdens emergency. Wayne passed out drunk, Sharon crying. Lily not home (with "boyfriend"). Ryan's room reeks of cannabis. Safety plan feels pointless.
6:30pm: Back to office for recording. Must document Brekden visit immediately. Mo still there, share dark humour. Both wondering why we do this.
8:00pm: Home, missed kids' bedtime again. Partner irritated about dinner. Glass of wine, try to decompress.
8:30am: Office, prepare for Copkden closure. Final report to complete. Feels good to write positive ending. Rare moment of satisfaction.
10:00am: Home visit to Copkdens. Sophie baked cake to celebrate. Olivia drew thank you picture. Martin gets emotional thanking Angie. These moments keep you going.
11:30am: Check on Jokdens. House tidy (knew visit coming). Kelly recites all services' failings. Children silent, Destiny scratching arms. Kenzie still in nappy at 5 years.
1:00pm: Team meeting about new duty system. Jen presenting "improvement plan". Everyone knows it won't work. Tom points out obvious flaws. Jen says "just try it please".
2:30pm: Brekden professionals meeting. Police update on Ryan (county lines confirmed). CAMHS won't engage (too chaotic). Housing pushing for eviction. Everyone looking to Angie for solutions.
4:00pm: Write three referrals. CAMHS for Lily Brekden (rejected before). Benefits advocate for Sharon. Drug service for Wayne (won't engage).
5:00pm: Kelly Jokden calls screaming. Destiny told teacher about boyfriend. Threatens to withdraw consent. Carefully document threats.
6:30pm: Still recording visits. Thomkdens court report additions. Email update to Marcus.
7:30pm: Leave, take papers home. Need quiet to write assessments.
9:00pm-10:30pm: Three assessments at kitchen table. Kids asleep, partner watching TV. This is when real work gets done.
9:00am: Annual review for Blake Thomkden. School say he's "delightful". Angie knows he's manipulating them. Can't say what really think. Dean watching every word.
10:30am: Drive to Pakdens. Raj home unexpectedly, drunk. Denies drinking, Meera silent. Amit storms out. Kavya making everyone tea, mediating.
12:00pm: Grab lunch, car park cry. Five minutes to feel overwhelmed. Sarah texts: "You okay?" Pull yourself together.
1:00pm: Legal planning meeting - Thomkdens. Discuss judge's indication. Agree to try one more expert. Everyone knows it's futile. Planning for "support package" if order refused.
3:00pm: Supervised contact - Jokdens' dad. First contact in 6 months. Children excited then disappointed. He talks about himself entire hour. Kelly blames Angie for "poor venue".
4:30pm: Return to office. 23 new emails. Duty worker needs urgent advice. Printer broken again. IT system crashes, lose afternoon's work.
5:30pm: Marcus asks for "quick chat". Taking another case tomorrow. 16-year-old pregnancy, learning disabilities. "Just initial visit, then allocate properly". Both know that won't happen.
6:30pm: Leave without finishing recording. Will do it tomorrow (won't have time). Missed daughter's school play.
8:00am: Text from Sharon Brekden. Lily didn't come home. Phone police, then drive there.
9:00am: Brekden house chaos. Police there, searching Lily's room. Find evidence of exploitation. Sharon sobbing, Wayne absent. Ryan laughing inappropriately.
11:00am: Office - emergency legal gateway. Lily found at 23-year-old's flat. Need strategy meeting today. Pull together professionals.
12:30pm: New case visit squeezed in. Pregnant 16-year-old, learning disabilities. Boyfriend is 24, controlling. Mum has own learning needs. Needs full assessment urgently. Another complex case incoming.
2:00pm: Strategy meeting - Lily Brekden. Police will investigate. Medical required. Safety plan inadequate. Consider removal (won't happen).
3:30pm: Try to catch up recording. Haven't written up three visits. Court report needs amending. Copkdens closure overdue.
4:00pm: Team huddle. Donna off sick (stress). Katie crying in toilets. James covering two duty shifts. Mo found funding for family therapy. Sarah bringing cake Monday.
5:00pm: Tom leaves exactly on time. Everyone jealous and resentful. He's right though. We're all enabling the system.
5:30pm: Angie stays till 7:00pm. Basic recording only. Take bag of papers home. Weekend working inevitable.
Morning: Family breakfast, trying to be present. Marcus texts about Monday's meeting - ignore it.
10:00am-12:00pm: Kitchen table, laptop out. Two hours on Thomkden court statement while kids watch TV. Partner takes them to football. Guilt but necessary.
Afternoon: Family time - park, shopping, normal life. Phone on silent. EDT will handle any real emergencies.
Evening: Check emails once - nothing that can't wait till Monday. Resist urge to start recording.
Morning: Actual family breakfast. Present and engaged. Work thoughts pushed away.
2:00pm-4:00pm: "Just two hours". Finish three assessments that are overdue. Family used to this Sunday routine.
Evening: Sunday dinner, family time. Quick email check - twelve new messages but nothing urgent. Leave for morning.
8:00am: Early start - minor surgery tomorrow, need to prepare handover. Email team about covering visits.
9:00am: Team meeting. Explain tomorrow's absence. Tom: "It's one day, world won't end". Sarah: "I'll cover Brekdens". Relief and guilt.
10:30am: Rush through four visits. Quick checks only. Families sense the hurry. Quality compromised.
3:00pm: Handover notes for Sarah. Six pages of "essential" information. Know she won't read it all.
5:00pm: Still preparing. Can't leave things unfinished. Marcus: "Go home, we'll manage". Can't.
7:30pm: Finally leave. Take laptop "just in case". Check emails at home till 10pm.
Morning: Minor surgery (wisdom tooth). Local anaesthetic. Head swimming but checking phone in recovery.
Afternoon: Home resting (working on laptop). Three calls from office. "Sorry to bother you but..." Answer all of them.
Evening: Face swollen, painkillers not touching it. Still checking emails. Wayne Brekden arrested. Feel guilty for not being there.
7:30am: Early start to catch up. 73 emails. Seven "urgent" flags. Face still swollen but "can't afford another day".
8:30am: Marcus: "You should be home". But understands why not. System doesn't allow genuine recovery.
9:00am-6:00pm: Full day catching up from ONE day off. Skip lunch. Sarah covered brilliantly but created more work. Her notes need translating. Her decisions need reviewing.
7:00pm: Still not caught up. Take work home. Partner: "This is insane". Know it. Do it anyway.
8:30am: Jen announces team training day next month. Tom: "When do we do actual work?" Everyone thinking same.
10:00am: Visit all six families today. Racing between houses. Tick-box visits. Hate self for poor practice.
4:00pm: Raj Pakden arrested DUI with Kavya in car. Emergency meeting. Threshold for removal? Meera begging.
6:00pm: Still in office. Dinner plans cancelled again. Partner stops asking when I'll be home.
8:00pm: Leave office. Boot full of files. Weekend working already planned.
9:00am: Court review - Thomkdens. Judge wants "intensive support package". Design impossible intervention for dangerous family everyone knows won't engage.
11:00am: Katie hands in notice. Three years was enough. Team devastated but understand. Her replacement will be newly qualified.
1:00pm: Lunch? What lunch? Chocolate bar from vending machine. Fourth this week.
2:00pm: Annual leave request for October half-term. Marcus: "Should be fine". Both know it won't be. Will work before and after to compensate.
4:00pm: Team drinks planned. Six people cancel. Too much work. Tom goes anyway. Good for him.
5:30pm: Calculate this week: 53 hours in office, 8 hours at home, 2 days "off" but worked. When does it end?
7:00pm: Leave with two bags of files. Weekend of recording ahead. This is normal now.
Saturday: Three hours of recording in morning. Essential reports only. Family afternoon planned and protected. EDT exists for real emergencies.
Sunday: Two hours morning work before family wakes. Court report that's due Monday. Rest of day is family time - this boundary matters.
Sunday evening: Prepare for Monday - review diary, check what's urgent. Calculate: two weeks = 95 hours work (including weekend catch-up). Paid for 75.
Week before leave: 60+ hour week preparing handovers, pre-completing reports, visiting all families "just to check".
During leave: Check emails daily. Three "urgent" calls. Complete court report from beach. Family pretends not to notice.
Return from leave: 200+ emails. Crises with three families. Sarah covered but decisions need reviewing. Takes two weeks to catch up from one week off.
The calculation: One week leave = three weeks disruption. Most take long weekends instead. System prefers presenteeism to genuine rest.
The fortnight above shows a typical cycle. But sometimes everything converges at once. This alternative Week Two demonstrates what happens when court setbacks, assault, complaints, staff shortages, and personal health needs collide. If the regular schedule seemed demanding, this is the week that breaks workers - or reveals their extraordinary resilience.
9:00am: Arrive at court. Find quiet corner in waiting area. Laptop out - might as well use the waiting time. Three assessments to update.
10:30am: Thomkdens court hearing begins. Dean's barrister aggressive from the start. Two hours of questioning.
12:30pm: Judge retires to consider. Back to laptop in court café. Trying to focus on recording but mind on hearing. Guardian joins - both pretending to work, both anxious.
2:30pm: Called back in. Judge delivers judgment. Heavily critical of LA approach. "Why haven't you tried family therapy again?" Indicates strongly against Care Order. Guardian whispers: "We'll appeal if needed". Small relief - not alone in this fight.
3:30pm: Back to office. Sarah waiting with Costa coffees. "Thought you'd need this. Extra shot?" Ten minutes venting in car park. Sarah: "Remember the Williams case? Judge refused, we appealed, won". Hope isn't completely gone.
4:00pm: Marcus supervision cancelled. "Sorry, emergency meeting with Pat". But Marcus stops by desk later. "Heard about court. You did everything right. Judge is an idiot". Quick validation means everything.
5:00pm: Lily Brekden missing from school. Found at boyfriend's flat. But unexpected: Sharon Brekden stood up to Wayne. "No more. This stops now". Tiny glimpse of maternal protection.
Evening: Martin Copkden texts. "News spreads quick on the estate. Saw news about your court case. You saved our family. Don't forget that". Reminder that some things do work.
10:00am: Visit Jokdens, Kelly aggressive. Jayden throws cup, cuts Angie's eye. Kelly laughs initially. Then Destiny runs over: "Are you okay? I'm sorry about Jayden". Child showing empathy despite everything.
11:30am: A&E for cut. Nurse recognises Angie: "You helped my cousin's family last year". Seen quickly, kindness shown. Mo texts: "Heard you're at A&E. Your desk has chocolate waiting". Community care still exists.
3:00pm: Return to office. Team gathered around desk. Tom: "Least you didn't get the Jokden's dog treatment". Everyone remembers when dog peed on his shoes. James adds: "Or Kelly's mum with the flying slipper". War stories become comedy.
4:00pm: Writing assault statement. Priya brings tea: "You're why I haven't quit yet". Passing the torch matters.
8:30am: Jen calls about complaint. "Look, we know Kelly. This is bollocks. But process is process". "Between us - she complained about three workers before you". Not personal, just Kelly being Kelly.
10:00am: Raj Pakden arrested at school. But Amit stepped up: "I'll look after Mum and Kavya". First time taking responsibility. Children growing despite chaos.
11:30am: Team meeting about complaints procedure. Mo: "So Kelly's complaint is that Angie... checks notes... did her job?" Tom: "I got complained about for 'aggressive sitting' once". Donna: "Remember when Mrs Davies complained I was 'too Welsh'?" Marcus trying not to laugh. James: "What about that dad who complained Sarah's 'aura was threatening'?" Room explodes - three minutes of pure laughter. Even Jen cracking up. Marcus: "Right, enough... but aggressive sitting?" Sets everyone off again.
2:00pm: Martin Hakdson drops by office. Brings homemade cookies for team. "Two years clean now. Thanks to you lot". Living proof of success.
8:00am: Donna phones in sick (stress). Team down to skeleton crew. Her cases distributed among everyone.
9:00am: Team meeting cancelled - Marcus in crisis meeting about another serious case review. Everyone relieved and worried simultaneously.
10:00am: New case allocation despite being over capacity. 16-year-old pregnancy, boyfriend 24. "Just initial assessment". Know it won't be.
2:00pm: Raj Pakden arrested for DUI with Kavya in car. Emergency strategy meeting. Meera sobbing. Threshold discussion - removal or support?
4:00pm: Katie crying in toilets. James finds her. "I can't do this anymore". Team rallies but everyone thinking same.
6:00pm: Still in office. Tom left at 5pm as always. Everyone watches him go with mix of resentment and envy.
8:00pm: Leave with two bags of files. Weekend already lost to paperwork.
9:00am: Court review - Thomkdens. Judge orders "intensive support package". Design impossible intervention for dangerous family everyone knows won't engage.
11:00am: Katie hands in notice. Three years was enough. Team devastated but understand. Her replacement will be newly qualified. The cycle continues.
1:00pm: Lunch is chocolate bar from vending machine. Fourth this week.
3:00pm: Five families need visiting before weekend. Race between houses. Tick-box visits. Quality impossible when quantity demanded.
5:00pm: Team drinks planned. Six people cancel - too much work. Those who go drink too much, talk about work.
7:00pm: Leave office. Calculate week: 55+ hours in office, 10+ at home. This was the "bad" week but next week won't be much better.
Weekend: Six hours across Saturday and Sunday finishing court reports, assessments. Family time squeezed around edges. Partner stops asking when things will improve.
What actually keeps Angie going: Not one big thing but accumulation of small lights. Three minutes of laughter can sustain for days. One child showing progress balances two stuck. Team solidarity in the trenches. Knowing she's not alone. Cornwall in two weeks. The aggressive sitting story (will tell for years).
Despite everything, 73% of children remain safely home. 85% of care leavers enter education, employment or training. The Hakdsons and Copkdens prove change is possible. Even the chronically stuck Pakdens aren't deteriorating. The team mostly functions, covering each other's weaknesses, celebrating small victories.
The Thomkdens expose the system's impotence against clever, dangerous parents. The Brekdens show how intervention can worsen situations. Kelly Jokden games every process. Recording consumes time meant for families. Supervision focuses on compliance not development. Each restructure loses institutional memory while children wait.
Midkwell Children's Services simultaneously succeeds and fails, traumatises and heals, burns out workers while inspiring devotion. Like education where many children thrive despite systemic failures (through parental support or finding their path), social care's creaky, leaky system produces a spectrum from transformation to tragedy.
Some families sail through, saved by worker skill, timing, or their own resources. Others are failed entirely. Most exist in the messy middle - partially helped, partially harmed, muddling through.
This case study reveals why "changing people" remains psychologically impossible, whether the system functions well or poorly. The Hakdsons succeeded not because Angie changed them but because Martin had capacity and motivation - Angie just provided support and resources at the right time. The Thomkdens can't be changed because Dean won't allow it. Kelly Jokden performs change without changing. The Pakdens show how families can remain stuck for years despite intensive intervention.
Even when intervention "works," it might not be for reasons we think. The system's fundamental assumption about professional capacity to change others is flawed. Success comes not from changing people but from working with their existing capacity for adaptation.
Angie works 48-52 hours weekly, takes papers home, misses her children's bedtimes. Sarah job-hunts secretly. Donna counts days to retirement. Katie heads for breakdown. James's optimism erodes. Tom's boundaries make him unpopular but sustainable. Priya questions her career choice daily.
Marcus absorbs pressure from above and below, working 55+ hours, taking calls evenings and weekends. His supervision becomes task-focused under pressure, development discussions vanishing. He knows he's failing his team while protecting them from worse.
Yet they continue. The Hakdsons' transformation, Kavya Pakden getting into college despite everything, that moment when Ryan Brekden asks for help - these sustain against the darkness. The team's black humour, Sarah's coffee, Mo's funding victories, the "aggressive sitting" story - small lights making darkness bearable.
Teams are never static. Angie's been through four "service developments" in 11 years:
2013-2015: "The Golden Period" (Angie's rose-tinted memory). Amazing manager who actually supervised. Team of eight who went to pub every Friday. Caseloads of 12-14 children. Felt like could change world. Then: Manager promoted, two burnt out, one maternity never returned. "Service Development": Merged with another team.
2016-2018: "The Chaos Years". New manager from adult services (clueless). Three agency workers rotating monthly. Lost all institutional memory. But: Sarah arrived, became anchor. Tom joined - his boundaries educated everyone. "Service Development": Split into specialisms.
2019-2021: "The Pandemic Blur". Two distinct phases of surreal madness:
Phase 1 - The Apocalypse Period: Empty streets, no traffic, world ending vibes. PPE fights in team meetings - who gets the last FFP2 mask? Hand sanitiser worth more than gold. Visiting families through windows, shouting through letterboxes. Zoom supervision where Marcus forgot he wasn't wearing trousers (camera incident still legendary). WhatsApp video calls with families - seeing inside homes they'd never have allowed visits to. Kids actually safer during lockdown - Dean Thomkden couldn't go to the pub. The bizarre peace of empty roads between visits. Standing two metres apart in gardens, trying to assess neglect through patio doors.
Phase 2 - The Pretend Normal: Social distancing supervision in car parks. Team meetings in the park, everyone frozen but "following guidelines". Eat Out to Help Out - entire team dinner for £43. "COVID-secure" visits where nobody felt secure. Masks making it impossible to build rapport with traumatised children. Hand sanitiser burns from overuse. The absurdity of risk assessments for risk assessments. One-way systems in office meaning 10-minute journeys to the printer. Plastic screens between desks but sharing the same air. The surreal moment when Katie got told off for hugging a crying colleague - "two metre rule!" Virtual court hearings where judges couldn't unmute themselves. That family who claimed they couldn't do contact because of "COVID anxiety" while posting pub photos on Facebook.
But strangely, some families engaged better virtually. Manager shielding meant team self-managed brilliantly. Discovered they could work without constant oversight. "Service Development": "Agile working model" (translation: hot-desking hell, no one has a permanent desk anymore).
2022-Present: "The Current Configuration". Marcus trying his best. Mix of experience levels working (mostly). But Katie wobbling, Donna near end. James's energy unsustainable. Priya 50/50 staying/leaving.
Who's Actually Leaving Soon: Donna: 6 months maximum (retirement). Sarah: Actively applying (hasn't told anyone). Katie: One more bad week. Agency worker: Contract ends next month.
Who's Arriving: Two newly qualified starting September. Transfer from Youth Justice (escaping that chaos). Possible agency cover (if budget approved).
The Restructure "Service Development" Signals: Pat's mentioned "transformation journey". Consultants spotted in building. Mysterious "staff engagement" surveys. Rick asking about "appetite for change". Everyone knows what's coming.
The Core Survivors (every team has them): The Anchor (Sarah) - keeps institutional memory. The Joker (Mo) - maintains morale through humour. The Boundary Setter (Tom) - shows it's okay to say no. The Mother Hen (Donna) - looks after newbies. The Optimist (James) - reminds why work matters.
If you work in children's services as a social worker or family support worker, what unwritten rules help your team survive the constant changes and pressures? What keeps you going when the system keeps reorganising around you?
In three months, restructure will be announced. "Pods" will replace teams, "practice leads" replace managers. Six months later, the new structure goes live. Nine months in, everyone realises it doesn't work. Eighteen months: workarounds embedded. Twenty-four months: consultants return. Thirty months: next restructure begins.
Through it all, families need help. Some receive it, some don't. Workers burn out and are replaced. Children suffer or thrive based on complex factors beyond anyone's control. The system creaks on, neither collapsing nor improving significantly.
Angie tells Priya: "The work stays the same. The families need us. Teams reform, different but recognisable. Find your constants - your Sarah, families who progress, your purpose. Let restructures wash over you. In ten years, you'll barely remember which configuration was which, but you'll remember the child you saved."
This is Midkwell Children's Services: ordinary, flawed, occasionally miraculous, grinding on because the alternative - no system at all - is unthinkable. It embodies the impossibility of changing people while demonstrating that sometimes, despite everything, change happens anyway. Not because professionals make it happen, but because humans adapt when given support, resources, and relationships at the right moment.
The tragedy isn't that the system fails - it's that it believes it can succeed at something fundamentally impossible: changing other people. The hope lies not in fixing this impossibility but in recognising it, then working with what is possible - creating conditions where people might choose to adapt themselves.
The reality is that teams aren't just fluid - they're constantly dissolving and reforming, like a social work ship of Theseus. The miracle is that somehow, despite everything, enough good practice survives to keep children safe. Most of the time.
© 2025 Steve Young and YoungFamilyLife Ltd. All rights reserved.
This case study is entirely fictional. All names, characters, organisations, and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual organisations is purely coincidental. The "impossible names" technique has been used throughout to ensure no real individuals could be identified.
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