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Nick Johnson took the circuitous route to his job as service manager disability in the London Borough of Sutton.

He started life in Derbyshire, a middle child in a family of ten. He dreamed of flying planes but, instead, entered a seminary where he was told he was too focused on humanity rather than the liturgy and left after six weeks.

He has run a touring theatre company in Papua, New Guinea, a somewhat unusual job for someone who was to become president of the Social Care Association.

Johnson is driven by change. He describes it as 'scary but challening', and is so intent on making things happen that he refuses to sit still. During his highly varied career he has held a number of jobs inside and outside the world of social work.

He began work as a local authority clerk, moved into residential child care and then completed a CQSW. After studying, he still had ambitions elsewhere. His three options were: a job on the Isle of Bute; entering the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to train as an actor or joining up with the VSO. He plumped for the final one and ended up in Papua New Guinea, where he held three jobs in two years.

For about eight months he lived in a grass hut with no electricity, while supporting a village school. He later worked for social services, became involved in amateur dramatics and was asked to direct a touring theatre group.

Then a bureaucratic botch ended his stay in the country. On holiday in England, he found his work permit had not been renewed and was forced to stay. He embarked on a series of social work jobs in Nottinghamshire, Sheffield, Isle of Wight and Dorset before moving to Sutton. He joined the SCA in 1984 and sat on the parliamentary affairs and membership services committees.

He is passionate in defence of the profession. 'We have been knocked enough. We need to be told more about the 98 per cent of work we do which is well-received by our clients. There is a crucial guilt about our existence. Our existence implies that we are not dealing with vulnerable people so we feel anger and that anger is taken out on social workers.'

Asked what he does to relax, he says 'not much'. He used to referee Rugby Union but now his precious weekends are spent with his partner and eight-year-old son, as he lives away from his Poole home during the week.

Rachel Downey