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● Social care managers have always been a strange breed but with their "modernisation agendas" and obsession with macho management-speak they are becoming more distant from the realities of social work.

So, it has befallen me to make sure our practice placement student, Sarah, is fed encouragement and thanks. For this she appears to be grateful, not least as she was a former medical student but dropped out because she couldn't hack the humiliation upon which such studying is apparently based.

You could never imagine social work students having end-of-term dinners that have awards ceremonies that include "Person most likely to have the ugliest children" "Person of the opposite sex you would most like to catheterise" "Person most likely to have ECT for intractable depression" or "First into de-tox". Nor would there be a "Dresses like a grandmother" award, or one for "Singularly the most irritating Christian of the year".

That said, the last two categories would be very hard fought contests in our office. What is it with bad dress sense and a belief in an invisible omnipotent bloke? From which, you may deduce that I lack "faith". Similarly, I don't believe in fairies or the planets influencing our lives, or copper healing rheumatism. It's true I am an atheist albeit a Catholic one. Indeed, God knows I'm an atheist and she's cool about it.

➔ E-mail your anecdotes and observations to rosie.warlock@yahoo.co.uk