Capital recruitment campaign backed by social care leaders

Local government and social care organisations have backed a new
Community Care campaign to improve the image of social
work in London and attract more people into the profession.

The Association of Directors of Social Services, the Local
Government Association, and the Greater London Assembly sent a
letter to national and London newspapers this week, urging them to
back Community Care’s Care in the Capital week.

“We commend Care in the Capital week as an opportunity to give a
balanced view about the work social workers do,” the letter
says.

“There are many examples of good service provided by social
workers. We hope the media will support this campaign and give
people an insight into the depth and range of the work social
services do.”

Care in the Capital week, which is due to be officially launched
on 17 June, is intended to focus attention on the recruitment
crisis facing social care in the capital, and to provide an
opportunity to share ideas and promote social care as a career. The
launch will be attended by health minister Jacqui Smith.

The letter says: “There is a crippling social work recruitment
crisis in London boroughs caused largely by bad press and public
misunderstanding of social care and social work, bad press and
media coverage, and uncompetitive pay and conditions.

“Together these two facts are dissuading people from considering
social work as a worthwhile, and rewarding career.

“Social workers can and do make a positive difference to the
lives of vulnerable people in the community, and without them so
many people in London would be adversely affected,” the letter
says.

The week’s activities will include the publication of a major
report on the capital’s recruitment crisis, a job
satisfaction survey, job swaps between city workers and social
workers, recruitment workshops for employers, media workshops for
employers, and a symposium on the way forward.