Panorama tonight (Monday) follows a child protection team in Coventry. Should make for interesting viewing - I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on it...
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Thanks for that, im a student so this will be great to watch :-)
Having just watched the Panorama programme on child protection social work,I thought it was harrowing but accurate account of the realities going on what Community Care hears from SWs.
it showed social workers coping the impact of adults (family members usually) on children's lives - not as a group of busybodies. I'll be interested to see what the wider reaction is
I have also just watched this and have to say that I was quite impressed about 'how real' it was, too often programmes leave out the real work that we do and give us an negative image.
I personally think that there should be more of these types of programmes and should cover all teams.
''Those who imprison themselves within the confines of one model only have the perspective of the keyhole''
We hear about the challenges that social workers face everyday however it's very rare we are able to see an accurate portrayl of social work and the challenges they face straight from the social workers point of view and on the television. I found it very interesting.
I thought it was a good documentary on the realities of social work in child protection and showed some good dilemmas that we have to deal with as well as the case load difficulties and the fact that all social workers want to do a better job and could do this with less cases, I myself work on the frontline in child protection, love my job but find the pressures of caseload management very stressful at times and would love to just have the recommended case load of 13 children!! I hope there are more accurate documentaries like this that make the government do something to help the social workers, their families and most importantly the children. Tink
It was interesting that Jeremy Vine described that team as "Emergency" team. What is really needed is early intervention and early help and support offered.
Same old BS around shortage of social workers
And why do child protection social workers need a special bonus on their salaries?
Should they get a special financial incentive not to be off sick?
Smokey: And why do child protection social workers need a special bonus on their salaries? Should they get a special financial incentive not to be off sick?
Not if it means going in to work ill, and spreading viruses to colleagues and service users.
I don't know how you can say this?? I have worked in a frontline child protection team for over 5 years and it has never been fully staffed for a sustained period of time! If you still are "unemployed social worker" you may want to consider a position??
I thought the programme was excellent, with social work for once being shown in a positive light. It’s difficult to show just how stressful and complex working with children and families is in a half hour programme, but I saw excellent social work practice being carried out by real professionals working under intense pressure. And I don’t doubt that’s just what the non-social worker viewers saw as well. I say well done to everyone who took part and lets hope this heralds the beginning of a more positive media approach to social work.
aaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
the s word again. 'stress'.
I am a newly qualified social worker, working in a child protection team. I found the documentary to be accurate I only have a few criticism, one that it did not last long enough, long hours and excessive paperwork and recording and that there was no mention about budgets.
We all know that there is a shortfall in social workers however speaking for myself and many others I know the budget is not available to provided enough qualified workers. Not to mention the teams budget and the cuts and savings that need to be made.
gildon: I don't know how you can say this?? I have worked in a frontline child protection team for over 5 years and it has never been fully staffed for a sustained period of time! If you still are "unemployed social worker" you may want to consider a position??
Very, very difficult to get employment in a team like the one on Panorama. Interesting programme spoilt by BS about shortage of SW's. The shortages are self imposed.
USW- in your posts you frequently mention that there isn't a shortage of qualified social workers based on your own personal situation as a qualified SW. However, I have also read other posts where you mention one council wouldn't employ you due to some historical things that were on your CRB.
Therefore is that the reason you are unable to gain employment or that there really is a shortage? I know that you also refer to not having worked in a statutory placement whilst on the degree course.
Just out of interest, therefore what do you consider to be the main reason you are struggling to seek statutory placements? For those of us who qualify this year there is a concern over gaining employment at the end, however we will all be in statutory placements for our final placement opportunity.
I am surprised that they clearly showed the girl in the family of four children being interviewed by her social worker. Why didnt they blank out her face? I wonder how that family of four children will manage? I wonder whether the fact of them being clearly identified will have a negative impact for them.
We asked our lecturer about that. She said that if the child gave consent then so be it and ultimately father had PR so there you go.
This of course doesn't take into account the other moral and ethical points you have so rightly raised.
squirrel: USW- in your posts you frequently mention that there isn't a shortage of qualified social workers based on your own personal situation as a qualified SW. However, I have also read other posts where you mention one council wouldn't employ you due to some historical things that were on your CRB. Therefore is that the reason you are unable to gain employment or that there really is a shortage? I know that you also refer to not having worked in a statutory placement whilst on the degree course. Just out of interest, therefore what do you consider to be the main reason you are struggling to seek statutory placements? For those of us who qualify this year there is a concern over gaining employment at the end, however we will all be in statutory placements for our final placement opportunity.
Most often, the feedback I have had after my interview was that my my lack of statutory experience was apparent when interviewed, and that a more experienced candidate was chosen. I doubt if the offences (joyriding and burglary) I committed as a child 32 years ago were hindering me, if they are whoever was making the decisions should not really be in social work. The only council which did discriminate on the basis of my convictions was Sheffield City Council 3 years ago.
Thank you for your reply USW.
I have worked in statutory services for over 10 years and know it can be very difficult to gain employment with no experience on such teams. Have you joined various agencies, they may be able to help getting you in the door, especially a good one?
BeeS: I have worked in statutory services for over 10 years and know it can be very difficult to gain employment with no experience on such teams. Have you joined various agencies, they may be able to help getting you in the door, especially a good one?
I am with many agencies; but the problem is that agencies expect you to have lots of experience in the area you wish to work in so that you can: "Hit the ground running".
I enjoyed watching the panorama doc it gave me an insight of what really goes on in frontline teams...what I saw beats what the current cwdc advert that portrays social workers as socialist with ample to socialiase with service users. Like others I was perplexed by how children's faces were shown on the screen, while training I was made to believe that for confidentiality reasons children's faces were covered.
overall the programmes was brilliant.
USW...I have been through what you have gone through with the job hunting...luckily for me despite not having statutory placements I have found myself a job in the locality team cant wait to start. What I can say to you is that you hang in there some ay some one will see what you are capable of..
I watched it and just wanted to cry. Having worked in 3 Referral & Assessment Teams as a social worker and managed 2 referral & assessment teams I just felt so upset and sad. I could not return to that work environment again and am happy to be out of it an another part of the service.
I really felt it when one of the workers pointed out people leaving when she later saw them they looked like they had a face lift. It is sad seeing colleagues come back from leave then within days looking tired and stressed again. It is true about the 'face lift' as a colleague left and went into adult services and looks so much healthier.
I hope the public watched and realised how difficult the job is. No one really understands how hard it is except those in it. For all still in those still working in referral & assessment teams look after yourself and when you need to, for the sake of your own health and for our clients, move on - there are other areas where you can fully utilise all that front line experience.
It was a very good program and definitely showed the speed at which people work in these teams. It was particularly good that it said Social Workers cannot remove children without parental consent or Court order. I aslo liked that the Social Worker said if you stop and think about the bad things that could happen (and it could happen to anyone, really) you would not be able to do the job. It did not show, though, how much work is involved in working with a Child Protection Plan or Court or how nasty some people can get with Social Workers. I was surprised also that the Social Worker said nobody swore at her and asked her to leave the house. I've had even worse than that!!
i haven't read all the posts above so sorry if I am repeating things here.
I watched the panorama program with my family hoping that they would get a 'birds eye view' of the job I do. Well, I was sadly disappointed.
It was good that panorama did a program and fantastic that for once it was a more realistic view of social work.
however, it only just scratched the surface. And I was left with the following thoughts:
- why was it not made clear that the man with 4 children could remove them at any time as they ere s20? and why was it not clearer the reasons the children could not go home?
- how lucky is the social worker who said she has done the job 2 years and never been sworn at/ thrown out of someone's house? I get verbally abused most days in my job !
- why did they not talk about ICS and the way that has impacted on our work?
I think this is a good start, but they need to do another series like they did 5 years or so ago in Bristol - that showed much more the reality to the job we do.
I really cannot agree when people say that they can't get a job because of lack of statuatory experience. I work in a child protection team and we've just had 2 new SW's started, neither of them have had statuatory experience
minimin: i haven't read all the posts above so sorry if I am repeating things here. I watched the panorama program with my family hoping that they would get a 'birds eye view' of the job I do. Well, I was sadly disappointed. It was good that panorama did a program and fantastic that for once it was a more realistic view of social work. however, it only just scratched the surface. And I was left with the following thoughts: - why was it not made clear that the man with 4 children could remove them at any time as they ere s20? and why was it not clearer the reasons the children could not go home? - how lucky is the social worker who said she has done the job 2 years and never been sworn at/ thrown out of someone's house? I get verbally abused most days in my job ! - why did they not talk about ICS and the way that has impacted on our work? I think this is a good start, but they need to do another series like they did 5 years or so ago in Bristol - that showed much more the reality to the job we do.
totally agree with this post, would love them to spend a day/week with my team. They need to make a series as the half hour show was just too short
loved it when that SW said that she knows someone who has got out of social work and she looks as if she's had a facelift! If they came to our team we'd give them before and after photos, i'm sure they wouldn't recognise anyone of us!
Have local authorities got the balance right, on the way they organise the Emergency response team. Has Coventry City council also got a less-urgent Intake and Assessment team? Secondly, how many authorities have a separate education Social work section?
How many instances do you get when another team SHOULD have been giving support to an individual child and his/her family, and their early intervention has been of poor quality, or non-existent?