John McCallister, Ulster Unionist Party MLA, is spending today with the South Eastern HSC Trust's child protection team in County Down, Northern Ireland, to gain a better understanding of the pressures and demands facing social work staff.

The visit was arranged by the Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers.

Explaining why the trust welcomed this opportunity, Kate Thompson, director of children's services and executive director of social work, said: "It's important that our political representatives understand the complexity of the job, and the skills and compassion needed to ensure that children and families are safe."

Community Care arranged a series of visits by MPs to social work teams in Scotland and England in 2010:

Day the MP dropped into Warwickshire social services

MPs go on fact-finding visits to social work departments

Photo of John McCallister by Rex Features 

Read the complete post at http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/social-work-blog/2011/01/northern-ireland-minister-spen.html