Who can make a referral?
Social Workers Without Borders provides independent social work reports (ISWR) as expert evidence for immigration applications and appeals.
This form is for instructed immigration legal representatives (solicitors and OISC accredited caseworkers).
If you are not a legal representative and want to make an enquiry, either for yourself or on behalf of someone else, please email us at: swwbcases@protonmail.com
Please note that we do not accept instructions for independent age assessments or for evidence for the family courts.
Our process
Social Workers Without Borders is a network of social workers acting in a voluntary capacity. Our volunteers are qualified and registered social workers. Two social workers (or one lead social worker and a social work student) will carry-out the assessment and one of our experienced volunteer social workers will case coordinate and review the assessment.
Our social workers will carry-out interviews with the people involved in the assessment and review the relevant supporting evidence. Where appropriate, the social worker may ask to contact other professionals and the wider family/social network who are involved with the client.
We usually ask that you allow 6 weeks for the draft assessment to be completed, and a further two weeks to the social worker to review any comments and finalise the report.
In addition to providing an independent expert report, if we identify an unmet need we will endeavour to signpost to additional services. If there is a safeguarding concern, we will follow our safeguarding procedures (these are publicly available on our website).
What we will need if the referral is accepted
Please refer to ‘Practice Direction of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal’[1] for guidance about information about the duties of an expert witness. In order to comply with these practice directions, we will need the following documentation before we are able to proceed with an assessment:
- Letter of authority or equivalent form confirming consent to act for and share client information
- Letter of instruction (LOI)
- A chronology of the client’s circumstances
- Details of the client’s immigration status and history, including past and current applications and appeals, previous court decisions/refusal letters and an outline of any disputed issues
- The evidential documents which will be placed before the decision-maker. For example, all witness statements and supporting letters, reports or documents detailing a client’s physical and mental health needs & treatment; details/records of services accessed by the client, including Children’s Services; reports from education providers etc.
Where a LOI asks for an assessment of factors that fall outside the scope of social work expertise we will ask for the LOI to be amended. As per the Practice Directions, the LOI will be attached to our report.
Any delay in receiving the documentation will likely cause delays in completing our report.