Ministers challenged to try work

Health ministers have been challenged to spend one day in a
social services department to see what social workers face.

The call comes from the British Association of Social Workers,
which holds it annual conference this week in Brighton. BASW says
social workers are criticised by some politicians without any
understanding of the problems they face.

BASW chairperson David Niven said: ‘Social workers are easy
targets because they work at the sharp end, dealing with problems
society would rather not acknowledge.

‘Some politicians identify us with the issues we address,
blaming us for their existence rather than listening to our ex
periences of solving them.

‘The honest truth is that this country would be in a lot of
trouble without social workers and it is high time that was
acknowledged,’ Niven added.