The positive side of social work
Today: the positive work that social workers do. Many times on 5 live and across the BBC we've reported inevitably horrific stories of child neglect where social workers have found to be wanting. Today we're going to try and redress the balance. And, as you'd expect, your experiences are key: if you are a social worker, do tell us in broad terms about the kind of cases where you have made life better for someone. And if you or your family have been helped by a social worker again we're very keen to hear from you.
Plus what's the point of Megan's Law after all? It's the legislation in the States where people have access to information on paedophiles living in their local area. Philip Garrido's details are on the Megan's Law website - and no one knew he'd kidnapped an 11-year-old girl and kept her captive for 18 years.
Plus: banned from football for life, what does that actually mean? I could be banned from football for life and of course I woulnd't be able to get a season ticket for my club but I WOULD have been able to pitch up at West Ham on Tuesdat at 5pm and buy a ticket for that cup game against Millwall - and no one would know I wasn't supposed to be allowed in.
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Of course Social Workers do a worthwhile job and in many many cases, they get it right and well done to them. Sadly, when they do 'screw up' they seem to do it spectacularly. The thing that is so frustrating to me is that in the high profile cases the SW's seem to have absolutely no common sense whatsoever and placed the parents/guardians rights above those of the abused child.
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I agree social workers do a good job and should do so for a further 'interim' period, however for the future their jobs must be gradually switched to the other end of the problem. That is to broken families, schools, young feral children. They should be teaching those young people how to behave and their families how to discipline. There is enough information around now stating the problems of taking drugs and the damage done to society by bad discipline.
In future through this interim period any 'new' case should not be a problem of social services, but a rapid response by the police and the law with really severe penalties.
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This topic really has to take the biscuit for the most stupid ever! And on this show, that's saying something. People who have social workers hate the imposition. At the behest of the Opposition group I once had occasion to go round the town collecting signatures for a petition to get the Council to devote more funds to Social Services. The Councillors fondly imagined this would be popular. The people in the pubs and on the streets saw social workers as the enemy who take away your children. It was as if I was collecting money for the Gestapo!
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Victoria:
Plus: banned from football for life, what does that actually mean? I could be banned from football for life and of course I woulnd't be able to get a season ticket for my club but I WOULD have been able to pitch up at West Ham on Tuesdat at 5pm and buy a ticket for that cup game against Millwall - and no one would know I wasn't supposed to be allowed in.
Who was banned from football....Life means YOU can never returned to the team again!!!
=Dennis Junior=
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I've been a Social Worker for 15 years and in front line social work for the last 7. I wouldn't say it's always been easy, but it's an extremely rewarding job, never-the-less and I wouldn't change it for the world. The media love to portray what we do in a negative light, we're basically dammed if we do and dammed if we don't. I've even heard us referred to by another worker within my own Local Authority as the "Baby Snatchers", which both I and my fellow Social Workers find enormously insulting. What the media and this ignorant individual don't see is the endless hours of really skilled, supportive and child focused work we do with families to improve parenting, improve situations and consequently improve the outcomes for both the children and their families.
I agree that this job is not without it's problems and I could easily moan on about lack of funding or resources, under staffing and poor higher management, but no matter how bad all of those things are we still give 110% to what we do and in my opinion the single most important factor to achieving a positive outcome is the nature of the relationships we establish with the families we work with. For some families it just isn't safe enough to leave children where they are, but for those particular children foster or residential care might just be the most positive outcome which could be achieved. Equally we are committed to giving parents and families every opportunity to improve the area's of concern so that they are able to stay together. The bar is not set at an unachievable height, we are not trying to find Mary Poppins, parenting simply has to be 'good enough'.
I am very proud of the positive outcomes that have been achieved with the families I have worked with and I am clear that many children's lives have dramatically improved as a result of my intervention.
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Victoria:
Yes, Social Workers do provide the society at large, a valuable service that can otherwise would never be fulfilled.....
=Dennis Junior=
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i wonder what tomorrows sunsational topic vicky will pursue ?
anyway can i just say that its not pronounced 'moozlims' vicky but mus-lims it is a softer s not a hard z. (listen back to the vigor in which it is stated - in the end the story was not as trailed. ie what actually happened was 200 asians gathered as a result of bnp-far right extremists provocations and a text message that was incorrect. of those around 5 to 10 were acting like hooligans .
any more news on the football terrorists?
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Oh for goodness sake, Wendy - I hear various pronunciations of 'muslim' from 'muzzlim' to 'moosh-lim' - and so what? How do you pronounce 'bath'? 'Barth' or 'baath'? and 'tomato'?
So; this topic (bigging up social workers) is again the main subject of your phone-in just two days after the last time. Why is this? Is this programme the propaganda arm of the Govt? Didn't the message get through sufficiently on Friday?
Yes - Social workers are necessary and most are good at their job. A few are not. Most people realise and understand this.
So why the need to bludgeon people over the head with this topic?
Am switching off.
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Hi Victoria
There are many pro-active and understanding social workers who want to do their job and support those that need the support, however the decision making as to how services are delivered to those that need social work input are made by senior management. Many social workers want to deliver services but can be prevented from doing so by the decision makers and central government cutting their resources in which to deliver the services.
Working with families who have children with hidden impairments, we find that these families receive little or no help due to the decision makers and heads of children’s services. Many of these families at risk of breaking up, the child perhaps being placed within the care system, yet these children will be placed with other family or friends and little support put into the family. Our present government is partly to blame with regards to the reduction of services being delivered by the reduction of additional funding into those local authorities that have high volumes of cases on their books.
I come across social workers that were out to gain ‘brownie points’ with their team managers and compete with their work colleagues in the hope of getting management positions. I for one would certainly not like to do social work due to the stigma attached to the role!
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Victoria: In America, we have Social Workers that are specializing in the prevention of suicide with good results. They are known as Suicide Prevention Coordinators and they work in a hotline designed to prevent suicide. Roberto
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Can't the producers (or whoever is responsible for this blog) at least try to ensure that it is updated on a daily basis?
Today is Wednesday, 2nd September. The latest 'blog' offering is dated last Friday, 28th August.
If you really want input from listeners on subjects you chose for the phone-in then please offer an up to date platform.
Thanks.
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They can't be arsed Sarns. Apparently we have to 'friend' VD on Facebook in order to complain about her - which is singularly disingenuous and frankly insufferable! I am NOT her friend and I am not her fan!
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And social workers show us that there are still people who do care about others. Omst of the time they had to study for years and they are very underpaid. Kind regards Lexa
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