# Does s117 explicitly state that a social worker must be assigned **URL:** \ **Category:** Mental Health Act\ **Tags:** aftercare\ **Created:** [25 May 2023 11:57 UTC](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/t/does-s117-explicitly-state-that-a-social-worker-must-be-assigned/1609 "2023-05-25T11:57:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mark](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Mark](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/u/Mark)\ **Post date:** [25 May 2023 11:57 UTC](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/t/does-s117-explicitly-state-that-a-social-worker-must-be-assigned/1609/1 "2023-05-25T11:57:12Z")
My daughter is about to be discharged under S117. We have been told that she will be referred to EIP team who will be her lead practitioner. However, I thought in addition that a social worker was also assigned. Is this stipulated in the S117 somewhere please? ---
**Author:** ![JadieH](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@JadieH](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/u/JadieH)\ **Post date:** [26 May 2023 07:33 UTC](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/t/does-s117-explicitly-state-that-a-social-worker-must-be-assigned/1609/2 "2023-05-26T07:33:49Z")
Hi Mark, There’s a joint duty on both health and social care to assess and meet needs. However, how this looks in practice can vary locally. Some healthcare teams such as EIP may have social workers who work in them with agreement from the local authority. Or perhaps the team have already determined your daughter doesn’t have social care needs and only healthcare needs to be met by the EIP team and therefore doesn’t require involvement on social care. No harm in asking either the team or the hospital, how the local authority have met their obligation to assess? ---
**Author:** ![Mark](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Mark](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/u/Mark)\ **Post date:** [26 May 2023 11:48 UTC](https://forum.mentalhealthlaw.co.uk/t/does-s117-explicitly-state-that-a-social-worker-must-be-assigned/1609/3 "2023-05-26T11:48:32Z")
Thank you very much