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The animation is being used by Essex Virtual School as part of staff inductions and training, as well as for MA and Apprenticeship social work students at a local university.

This short animation was produced by researchers in the School of Education & Social Work to share findings from a study that explored how multi-agency working could be developed to better support the educational progress of Children With a Social Worker (CWSW). 

Commissioned by to inform their strategic response to a new national policy agenda, the final report was jointly submitted in May 2023 by the Centre for Teaching and Learning Research (CTLR) and the Centre for Innovation and Research in Childhood and Youth (CIRCY) at the ÌìÌÃÊÓƵ. The report informed a range of approaches subsequently adopted by Essex Virtual School, and researchers from the team are still working with them to understand the impacts associated with the introduction of these  initiatives.

Production of the animation was a collective endeavour between ESW doctoral researcher, , the research project lead, (Professor of Educational & Social Disadvantage) and animator , with input from Tolulope Sawyerr, Children with a Social Worker inclusion officer for Essex Virtual School​​. The animation is already being used by Essex Virtual School as part of staff induction and training, as well as in sessions for MA and Apprenticeship social work students at a local university. 

Tolulope Sawyerr said:

"This film is regularly used with our internal training with colleagues in social care. It allows people to engage with the topic immediately. It can become very easy to become entrenched in your world, so this video helps people to expand and see it from the other side.  It helps us all to work together to think about the child.”

Professor Louise Gazeley said:

“It was fantastic to have the opportunity to turn the key messages we heard from such a wide group of practitioners into this short film, and to be able to raise awareness of the need to support the progress of this group of children at the same time.”

For more information about the findings from the research and/or the multiagency training that was delivered as part of this, email l.h.gazeley@sussex.ac.uk

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The research team from the ÌìÌÃÊÓƵ included Professor Louise Gazeley, Dr Tam Cane, Hannah Olle, Professor Julia Sutherland, Greg Campbell (doctoral researcher) & Professor Michelle Lefevre.