Panorama last night was essential viewing, as it followed a team of child protection workers in Coventry.
The programme stressed the difficult job social workers have and the excessive caseload many are carrying:
The programme's producer Roger Graef has also written an opinion piece for The Guardian.
(Following the programme, social workers have been debating some of the issues involved on CareSpace)
On a related note, Community Care is organising a half-day event on how local authorities can successfully engage with the media on social work issues. Call 020 7347 3574 or email: registrations@lexisnexis.co.uk for more information.
In Coventry, social worker Sarah, with two years experience, has 39 children to assess on her file and said she feels like she is "fire-fighting" at every turn, leading her to worry that she is not giving her families enough of her time.It also seemed to show a level of understanding of child protection, rare in the mainstream media:
I'll be interested to hear what people think once they've seen it. You can catch it again on iPlayer.
Contrary to what most people believe, social workers do not have the power to search a house or remove children without parental consent or a court order.
The programme's producer Roger Graef has also written an opinion piece for The Guardian.
(Following the programme, social workers have been debating some of the issues involved on CareSpace)
On a related note, Community Care is organising a half-day event on how local authorities can successfully engage with the media on social work issues. Call 020 7347 3574 or email: registrations@lexisnexis.co.uk for more information.
I feel that the flash sports car driven by the newly qualified Social Worker doesn't give the right impression to the public or clients. Panorama must know that the majority of Social workers could ill afford such a fancy and expensive car. By showing footage of the car they undo the work they are undertaking to reveal how hard Social workers work and how more resources, higher pay and more staff are desperately needed. More documentaries based on the Social work profession would help the public understand better and put more pressure on the government.