Child care social workers in Liverpool are taking indefinite strike action. But the strike is not about pay. So what is it that drives a dedicated group of people, some of whom have worked for the local authority for many years, to take such action?

Social workers do a difficult job in difficult circumstances and most social workers go the extra mile to ensure that a service is delivered. They often accumulate many hours of lieu time, not paid

overtime, working to ensure that the lack of experienced workers, staff vacancies and few, if any, admin support does not interfere with the quality of the service offered. Unfortunately, senior managers fail to acknowledge these extra miles and the strain this creates within the workforce.

In Liverpool, social workers are now saying that enough is enough. Staff feel that senior managers just do not care, and talk about improvements in services as though they alone were responsible for them, appearing not to understand how to value their staff.

Social work values are such that showing people they are valued is often one way to bring about change. This can often bring positive outcomes, but only if all parties are included in understanding the need for change.

Until senior managers (many of whom have been front-line practitioners) remember this, they will not have the trust or respect of their workforce. Experienced practitioners will continue to leave the profession, unwilling to continue to pay a personal price for trying to do the job without the resources or consideration of senior management.

Surely all who are involved in delivering services to some of the most vulnerable people in Liverpool share the vision that these services should be the best possible and that the staff are an essential part of the process.

Liverpool social workers have a history of delivering services that are innovative and client-focused, and have ideas and opinions on achieving good outcomes. They are not automatons and managers should remember that the service would be the poorer without them. Let’s hope for the sake of all of the vulnerable children in Liverpool that this is recognised sooner rather than later.

Elizabeth McAteer is an independent social worker who used to work in Liverpool’s children’s services.