Virtual Home Visits during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Workers’ Perspectives

Abstract

The home visit is a key aspect of child and family social work. Following the announcement of lockdown in England, all but the most urgent of home visits ‘went virtual’ overnight. During lockdown, we spoke to 31 child and family social workers across nine local authorities in England as they began to undertake virtual home visits. Here, we focus on social workers’ reflections on virtual practice and consider the possibilities, limitations and future implications of virtual home visiting.