“Thank God for social workers.” That was the slogan on the badge Community Care magazine asked me to wear at a conference a couple of weeks ago. I was pleased to do so and to support this really important – and long overdue – campaign to recognise the vital role which social workers play in our society.
The past few months have been really challenging for everyone involved in children’s services – for frontline staff and the new management I put into Haringey; for local authority leaders and children’s services in every part of the country; and for my department , too.
Dealing with the events in Haringey at the end of last year was a difficult tightrope for me to walk. I had to respond to a genuine and widespread public revulsion and anger about what happened, but I had to do so in a fair and orderly way on the basis of the best professional advice and do the right thing.
I had to provide the public with enough reassurance about the safety of children, but without giving the impression that no child will ever be harmed – or worse – again, because sadly that’s just not true. I had to explain what had happened, but without in any way affecting or influencing the very delicate ongoing legal proceedings relating to some of the adults in the original Baby Peter case, but I obviously couldn’t say that.
Most importantly, I had to respond without undermining the confidence, morale and professional standing of social workers who do a crucial job under really tough circumstances.
Unlike the brave firefighter, the life-saving surgeon or the inspirational teacher, social workers only make the headlines when things go wrong. The very nature of their work – preventing harm and helping families through hard times – means that social work is a profession in which all the successes go unnoticed. And more than in any other area, different professions have to come together on a case by case basis and make the right decisions.
I’m clear that we must do more to back frontline workers, but also lay down a challenge to them to demand to be the best they can. I spend a lot of time meeting teaching unions and representatives of other professions who work with children and families. But looking back in particular to the period when we were consulting on and drawing up our Children’s Plan it’s a real surprise to me that the children’s social work profession weren’t knocking harder on my door.
Last December, we set up the Social Work Task Force to help us transform the profession, including, among other things, improving the training and support social workers get. The Task Force and I have also been discussing with Unison and the British Association of Social Workers how to provide a stronger voice for social workers.
Ahead of its second report, which will be published next week, the Task Force is looking at a number of issues, including whether the social work sector would benefit from having a broad-based, professionally led college – much like that which provides a strong voice for high-status professions such as GPs or midwives.
As part of the ongoing work of the Task Force, I’ve already announced some immediate changes, including that all newly qualified social workers starting this year will receive a year of intensive induction training, supervision and support. A new Advanced Social Work Professional status will also be introduced to ensure the most highly skilled social work practitioners can stay close to the frontline with better career progression, rather than have to leave the frontline altogether in order to be promoted.
We’ll expand the graduate recruitment scheme and attract qualified social workers back to the profession. And there will also be a new ‘on-the-job’ qualification route aimed at experienced graduate professionals who want to change careers so that we can open up social work as a career option for more people.
For a long time now, teaching has attracted some incredibly gifted career changers who, after doing very well in their chosen profession, decide they need a new challenge.
Likewise, I believe social work can offer a similarly rewarding change for many people mid-career. I’m not pretending it will be an easy job. Social workers I talk to tell me of the huge challenges they face, but nearly all of them talk about the incredibly rewarding role they play. Keeping families together or supporting young people with disabilities can give an enormous sense of achievement.
But changing careers is a major step and it can be costly. That’s why I’m committing
£9 million to pay for training and also a salary for career changers so they can work alongside qualified social workers while they gain their qualifications. Career changers get a new, rewarding and challenging career helping some of society’s most vulnerable people and the children’s departments in local authorities get driven people who have a range of real-life skills they can bring to the role.
So, in the coming months, I hope more people will wear the badge and sign up to the “Thank God for social workers” campaign. But we’ll only have truly succeeded when this particular slogan goes without saying and these vital professionals are properly recognised for their public service.
Ed Balls is Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and Labour MP for Normanton
