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There is only one way to retain social work staff and that is to allow us to be what we trained to be. I am sick of hearing half-baked ideas intended to encourage us to stay, such as improved salaries, professional registers or access to reasonable housing. I find it incredible that people still miss the point.

I am a degree-qualified social worker and have been employed for 14 years by several councils. But I am actively seeking a way out of the job.

This is mainly because of the idiotic bureaucracy that is foisted upon us by local and central government. When I came into the job I spent 80 per cent of my time in the community with my clients. I now spend 80 per cent of my time inputting information into computers and doing paperwork.

Although I would not compare my role as a social worker to that of a consultant surgeon, I do think that people would be incensed if they knew highly skilled surgeons spent 80 per cent of their time completing paperwork and reports and just 10 per cent using their skills in the operating theatre. As it is, the police force is undergoing a shake-up as it has been recognised that officers spend more of their time processing paperwork than being on the street doing what they are trained to do.

I trained for four years to be in the community supporting people. Had I wanted to be a typist, clerk, finance officer or compiler of statistical information I would have trained for one of those posts. Our clients criticise us for not having enough time to see them - perhaps the politicians should spend some time working with us to get a feel for our difficulties.

Several years ago I had a meeting with a social services director who was planning to introduce retention bonuses. I advised him to keep the money and instead employ clerks and computer operators, allowing me the chance to do what I was trained for.

As I wrote this, guess what landed on my desk? A request to provide monthly monitoring data on another aspect of the care we provide. Yet again I have to cancel the appointment I had arranged with a client.

Colin Smith is a duty social worker working with adults with physical and sensory disabilities.