By Emma MaierAs part of Community Care's Stand Up Now for Social Work campaign -which is calling for more suport for social workers from the media, government and employers - we have been keeping an eye close eye on how the media reports social work issues.
In the coming weeks we'll be highlighting the best and worse examples. First on my hit list is yet another article in The Sun.
The Sun's leader column on 3 March, titled A Sorry Mess, was typical of its recent coverage...
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"The appalling scandals caused by inept social workers just keep coming. This time it's a known teenage sex offender placed into a loving foster family that included a boy of two and his nine-year-old sister... the culprits at the Vale of Glamorgan have, we are told, been 'disciplined'. But, as with Shoesmith, sacking them is the only option."
Says...
This case was horrific. But once again The Sun exploits a family's pain to demean the whole social work profession.
The paper fails to mention that social workers are regulated by the General Social Care Council, giving the impression that it is up to the press to demand sackings and achieve "justice".
It continues to treat social workers as second class to other professions - would it treat surgeons in the same way? No.
Have you seen an example of particularly skewed coverage? Or an article that really does social workers justice and recognises their work? Talk about it on Carespace, our discussion forum.
As I remember the Sun has been here before, when it demeaned the whole of Liverpool after the Hilsburgh disaster. The Sun should remember how Liverpool responded by not purchasing a Sun newspaper ever again. Ten years after the disaster the Sun editor was seen offering profuse appologies for its actions and groveling for the Sun to be sold in Liverpool once again.
Maybe a similar tactic should be taken here, with a campaign for social work, social care, youth work and teachers and their families never to purchase a Rupert Murdoch scandal rag until it overturns its victimisation of our profession.
However I doubt that even if we did evoke such a reaction to the Sun, that we will see any see change in the country's ambivalence to SW and child protection until we at least threaten to pull out from being the only front line protection agency treated in this way.
As far as I'm aware many public authorities were involved with Baby P including health agiencies, Health visitors police and the like. Yet SW is piloried at every turn. I think that the country can not continue to look both ways at child protection and expect one agency caries the can for an ill of society.
Yes we can make mistakes, like all professions do, but why should we continue to be so meek and constantly accept the critisisms of others who would rather poke their own eyes out than have child protection responsibilities. I wonder whether the police or health services would want the responsibility. I would doubt it, for child protection in the UK is seen as a poison chalice.
Well done Community Care for taking a stand. The whole profession should take a stand and ask what does the country want for its children and what does it want for its children's protection.
If Local Authorities are unwilling to show that they value social work and social workers how on earth can we expect the public to! As for the Sun, it is beyond contempt.