News

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.