The Social Work Blog - Other blogs - Social Work Blog

Employers are denying social workers a national voice

The icy relationship between employers of social workers and the press was brought into focus last week when I began gathering reaction for a Community Care article on the profession's first ever national college . I rang several contacts asking them...

Published 26 Nov 2010 11:35 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: stand up now for social work

Time to fight back against The Sun's woeful Baby P coverage

Oh dear - our friends at The Sun are at it again. The tabloid's report of the General Social Care Council conduct hearings for the Peter Connelly case in the 27 May edition is not only biased but inaccurate. They even managed to get the GSCC's...

Published 27 May 2010 5:22 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, Community Care, General Social Care Council, stand up now for social work, The Sun, workforce

Almost a third of social workers being bullied by current manager

One in three social workers is being bullied by his or her current manager, according to a straw poll by Community Care . We asked more than 780 readers, "Is your current manager a bully?" and around 250 answered, "Yes". Also this...

Published 2 Mar 2010 5:23 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: bullied, bully, bullying, social work, social worker, social workers, stand up now for social work, Unison, workforce

The future of social work? It's in the hands of students, apparently

Should unions and professional associations do more to engage social work students? This was one of the central questions raised at the first ever student-organised social work conference, which took place at London South Bank University this week. "When...

Published 19 Feb 2010 3:30 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Service users, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, training, workforce

Has your employer carried out a workload health check?

In December, the Social Work Task Force said social work employers in England should conduct an immediate "health check" of their organisations on a range of issues affecting workload (such as vacancy rates, work environment, TOIL and caseloads...

Published 11 Feb 2010 11:55 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Service users, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, training, workforce

Ten years on, why is Victoria Climbié's social worker still suffering?

25 February 2010 marks the tenth anniversary of Victoria Climbié's death. Over the course of the last decade there have been major changes in child protection policies in the UK. But for one social worker involved in the case, life is still frozen...

Published 11 Feb 2010 10:44 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, child protection, conduct, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, training, victoria climbie, workforce

Violence against social workers: a Community Care survey

Community Care is doing a survey on violence against social workers in light of the Ashleigh Ewing and Shauna Bailey cases earlier this month. So far 29 people have taken part. Of those, 82% have been abused, assaulted or threatened with violence while...

Published 10 Feb 2010 2:32 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Service users, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, training, workforce

CC teams up with LGA to improve understanding of social work

The Local Government Association is inviting directors of children's services to join the debate about improving public understanding of social work. Community Care's editor, Bronagh Miskelly, will be among the guest panellists at the LGA event...

Published 10 Feb 2010 12:05 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Bronagh Miskelly, daniel lombard, LGA, stand up now for social work

Social worker stalked for more than six years by service user

A social worker was stalked for more than six years by a man she visited as part of a mental health assessment team. The service user, Richard Jan, made numerous silent phone calls to social worker Shauna Bailey, attempted to torch her car and twice assaulted...

Published 1 Feb 2010 9:57 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: mental health, Service users, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, workforce

National papers bring you old news with added outrage

Here at Community Care we try to bring you the most up-to-date information about the social work and social care sector. Not everyone else does. At the weekend three of the major nationals ran a story about the Ministry of Justice's publication of...

Published 11 Jan 2010 2:31 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: adult protection, Baby P, children and young people, Criminal justice, domestic violence, ethnic minorities, faith groups, Family courts, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work

A new wave of social worker MPs, coming soon

A social worker has emerged as one of the front runners in the race to become the next Labour parliamentary candidate for Wavertree, Liverpool . It reminded us in the Community Care office that, back in August, the Tories said "lots of social workers"...

Published 11 Dec 2009 11:53 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, workforce

A new wave of social worker MPs, coming soon

A social worker has emerged as one of the front runners in the race to become the next Labour parliamentary candidate for Wavertree, Liverpool . It reminded us in the Community Care office that, back in August, the Tories said "lots of social workers"...

Published 11 Dec 2009 11:53 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, workforce

Are social workers getting younger, or is Goldie getting older?

Goldie added a bit of celebrity glamour to the launch of the Social Work Task Force report in London yesterday. The actor and musician, who was recently involved in government's Help Give Them a Voice campaign to highlight the positive impact social...

Published 2 Dec 2009 5:35 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: pay, Random, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work

I'd rather be watching X Factor

by Daniel Lombard It was Saturday night in Bedford, and the room was filled with gyrating bodies dressed in dinner jackets and dresses. My first taste of the Social Worker of the Year awards , and as the guests let their hair down to put talk about low...

Published 13 Nov 2009 7:07 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: anthony douglas, social worker of year awards, stand up now for social work, Tim Loughton

High social worker sickness rates reported in Liverpool

Liverpool social workers took 28,727 days - equivalent to 78 years - of sick leave in the first nine months of 2009, the Liverpool Echo reported today . This works out at an average of 12.7 days off per staff member between January and September. However...

Published 9 Nov 2009 12:05 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: liverpool council, local authorities, sick leave, sickness rates, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, workforce

Memorable experience for journalist turned social work conference speaker

by Daniel Lombard At Community Care it's important for us to get out and meet people in the sector to inform our work as journalists, and conferences are a great way to do this. This week I've attended two in just over 24 hours - the first in...

Published 16 Oct 2009 1:38 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: daniel lombard, gscc, Media, social work, stand up now for social work, The Sun

Did Dear Deidre tame the social work dragon?

by Daniel Lombard The most hotly-debated event in this year's social work calendar finally arrived yesterday with the General Social Care Council's annual conference. Having backed her employers' witch-hunt against social workers in the wake...

Published 15 Oct 2009 1:44 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, daniel lombard, deidre sanders, Media, social work, stand up now for social work, The Sun

Why Deidre was wrong to crow about The Sun's toxic campaign

by Daniel Lombard If social work and tabloid newspapers have always been uneasy bedfellows, the row over Deidre Sanders' continued involvement in efforts to improve the profession has reinforced the feeling that it was never going to be a match made...

Published 9 Oct 2009 2:37 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, Baby Peter, daniel lombard, deidre sanders, stand up now for social work, The Sun

The Deidre Debate: should the Sun's agony aunt be allowed to speak?

by Bronagh Miskelly The decision by the GSCC to invite Sun agony aunt Deidre Sanders to speak at it conferenc e was inevitably going to be controversial , it would have been foolish to expect anything else. I should know - the decision to ask Sanders...

Published 2 Oct 2009 11:01 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Bronagh Miskelly, deidre sanders, General Social Care Council, gscc, Media, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, The Sun, workforce

LGA conference: Selling social work in the media

For every serious case that casts doubt on child protection processes and the competence of social workers, there will be another - or, thousands of others - where a vulnerable child or family is transformed by positive experiences of social work and...

Published 1 Oct 2009 12:48 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Media, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work

Social work-media relationship must work both ways

By Sally Gillen It is a truism that frontline social workers feel vilified by the media. or years they have felt more vulnerable to criticism in the press than other professionals with responsibilities to protect children. Media coverage of child deaths...

Published 13 Aug 2009 11:25 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: stand up now for social work, workforce

Community Care meets Ed Balls part two!

by Daniel Lombard Community Care 's shameless pursuit of the secretary of state continued last night for another photo in support of our Stand Up Now for Social Work campaign. Last week, feature writer Amy Taylor successfully engineered a photo opportunity...

Published 16 Jul 2009 5:45 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: daniel lombard, ed balls, stand up now for social work

New way to get your badge

By Emma Maier So many of you have written to Take a Break to request a Thank God for Social Workers badge that they have run out of stock! However, do not fear. They have kindly arranged an alternative... read on and get yours. Read More...

Published 13 Jul 2009 7:24 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: stand up now for social work

Wear your heart on your sleeve

By Emma Maier I had an email last week from a social worker who had taken receipt of her Thank God for Social Work badge from Take a Break magazine. Her and her colleague had been wearing theirs around the office, but were nervous about donning them in...

Published 13 Jul 2009 7:05 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: stand up now for social work

Phone hacking allegations against News of the World: all tabloid targets beware

by Adam McCulloch So, News of the World journalists, and reporters from other papers, have resorted, en masse, it is said, to phone hacking via private detectives . I don't want to be accused of making tenous links just to get a few web hits, but...

Published 10 Jul 2009 1:50 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Adam McCulloch, Andy Coulson, Media, News of the World, phone hacking, Rebekah Wade, stand up now for social work, television programme, The Sun

Social workers speak out on prime time TV

Well done to the child protection social workers of Chester West and Cheshire and their managers who gave the BBC's One Show access to film what they do. Well done also to the anonymous parents who allowed some elements of their case to be shown on...

Published 6 Jul 2009 11:44 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Recruitment, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, television programme, workforce

Take a Break backs Community Care to share social work success stories

by Emma Maier There was a time when former prime minister Tony Blair could easily summon an interview with almost any leading media outlet around the world. Yet there was one vitally important publication that remained aloof: Take a Break . Now, the weekly...

Published 25 Jun 2009 1:06 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Media, stand up now for social work, The Sun, workforce

Improving social work's image through community engagement

By Emma Maier I spotted a story in the Liverpool press today about a community consulation group on health and social care issues. It struck me that such initiatives could provide a valuable opportunity to improve public understanding of and support for...

Published 8 Jun 2009 2:59 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Media, stand up now for social work

Social workers must act - what will you do?

By Emma Maier As Joanna Lumley will tell you following her recent success over settlement rights for Gurkhas , individuals can make a difference. And you don't have to be famous either. From universal suffrage to the rejection of animal testing on...

Published 28 May 2009 5:09 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Media, stand up now for social work

Social work needs you

writes Bronagh Miskelly Community Care is calling on everyone to Stand Up Now for Social Work in a bid to breakdown media stereotypes and give a voice to the profession. Now it seems the message is resonating with others as we report a ! urry of activity...

Published 6 May 2009 5:50 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: BASW, Bronagh Miskelly, Social Work Taskforce, stand up now for social work

Who would bomb those who work to protect children?

By Emma Maier One week, two stories about bomb threats at children's services buildings. What is so wrong in society that members of the public seek to harm those who are working relentlessly to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society...

Published 29 Apr 2009 11:50 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: crime, Media, social workers, stand up now for social work, workforce

Road to understanding

By Emma Maier From this week, family courts will be open to the media under a drive to increase public confidence. Reporters will be able to attend more hearings but, in the main, won't be able to write about specific cases. Debates continue over...

Published 29 Apr 2009 11:45 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Family courts, stand up now for social work

Is government standing up for social work?

By Emma Maier This week David Behan, social care chief at the Department of Health, called on directors and social workers to stand up for themselves and stop "playing victims" in the face of public criticism. The wording may sound a bit harsh...

Published 23 Apr 2009 10:08 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: department of children schools and families, Department of Health, Emma Maier, Media, stand up now for social work

Directors must lead by example

By Emma Maier I spent yesterday at the ADASS Spring Seminar - I have to say that I was really encouraged by the support among directors for our Stand Up Now for Social Work campaign and its aim of getting positive images of social work into the media...

Published 23 Apr 2009 9:33 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Emma Maier, Media, stand up now for social work

Newcastle directors Stand Up Now for Social Work

By Emma Maier I was delighted to receive a letter from Newcastle's director of children's services and director of adults' services recently in support of our Stand Up Now for Social Work campaign, which calls for more balance and accurate...

Published 23 Apr 2009 7:46 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: adult services, children's services, Media, newcastle, stand up now for social work

Poll brings good news

By Emma Maier The Local Government Association recently polled 1,000 members of the public to reveal their perceptions of social work after the Baby P case. The results were surprisingly encouraging. Read More...

Published 1 Apr 2009 3:20 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, Doncaster Council, Emma Maier, Local Government Association, polls, stand up now for social work

Community Care meets The Sun

By Emma Maier I have a confession to make. I spent yesterday evening with a senior journalist from The Sun . And he wasn't all bad. Read More...

Published 1 Apr 2009 9:56 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, child protection, Emma Maier, Media, stand up now for social work, The Sun

GSCC decision could affect Baby P social workers

By Emma Maier The GSCC's latest decision highlights an important issue about where accountability lies for child protection actions taken by multi-agency teams. In doing so, it sets a precendent that could have implications for the conduct hearings...

Published 30 Mar 2009 5:13 PM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Baby P, child protection, conduct, Emma Maier, General Social Care Council, gscc, Media, multi-agency, multi-disciplinary, stand up now for social work

Social care mustn't fall into The Sun trap

by Adam McCulloch Social care, particularly at management level, is hamstrung by its careful language when it comes to confronting The Sun and other tabloid newspapers, which it must do in the aftermath of the Baby P case. In social care language is tempered...

Published 13 Mar 2009 10:13 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: Adam McCulloch, General Social Care Council, gscc, Kelvin Mackenzie, language, local authorities, Media, Question Time, social work, social workers, stand up now for social work, The Sun

Standing up for social work: our letter to British Press Awards

As part of our Stand Up Now for Social Work campaign , Community Care is writing to the organisers and judges of the British Press Awards, which has shortlisted The Sun's Baby P coverage as its "campaign of the year". Read More...

Published 12 Mar 2009 10:43 AM by The Social Work Blog

Filed under: british press awards, social workers, stand up now for social work, The Sun

Browse by Tags

Syndication

Recent Posts

Tags

Archives