CWDC launches recruitment campaign

The Children's Workforce Development Council today launches a pretty substantial and long-awaited recruitment campaign to encourage people to become children and families social workers.

The Be the difference campaign is the follow-up to the Help Give Them A Voice campaign which used celebrity videos to bring home the sorts of situations that social workers - across adults' and children's services - are confronted by.

Be the difference will be launched on national television tonight. Its advertising concept is that social workers use everyday objects and situations - having a cup of tea with a young person; seeing a child out on the street bouncing a ball - to prompt questions and inquiries into what they are going through and make major breakthroughs.

The idea is that social work is deeply challenging and for people who are insightful and skilled in a range of ways but deeply rewarding. Predictable perhaps but this would appear to be the first time this message has been put out in such a concerted fashion.

See what you think. One slightly odd note on the website is in the fact that one of a series of video testimonials comes from a hospital social worker, despite the campaign's focus on children and families social work.

 

 

• Filed under: CWDC, recruitment, Be the difference, Help Give Them A Voice

Last time i checked children and families do use hospitals

The cup of tea thing does nothing to help my constant argument with friends that "social workers dont just offer tea and sympathy y'know!!"

I looked at all testimonials in the CWDC one and to be honest it is not a bad campaign. I liked that the senior practitioner referred to the higher specialist skills needed for Court , the use of research and importance of good written work. Two others stress the training that they have undertaken and how they keep going back to it. One of the testimonials also underlines that it is not pretty when children have to be removed from their families. I also think they chose the Social Workers very well - I for one identify myself with most of them, not sure how others feel.

get yourself a tin hat. You can probably claim for it on expenses.

The campaign cannot help social workers like me who are already qualified; but have no statutory experience. The CWDC is only interested in experienced  social workers who have left the profession and want to return.