Posters launched to boost social workers' esteem

LGA press release - 1 July 2009

Low morale among social workers poses a threat to the safety of vulnerable children, council leaders warned today, as figures show more than 9 out of 10 councillors in charge of children’s services think the public perception of the profession has worsened since the tragic case of Baby Peter.

A survey carried out on behalf of the Local Government Association has found 93% of councillors in charge of children’s services believe the reporting of the Baby Peter case had a negative impact on the way people regard social workers. Nearly 9 out of 10, 88%, also said they believed there had been a negative impact on staff morale.

The LGA fears falling morale and a poor public image will worsen problems with recruitment and retention, weakening the safety net which protects thousands of children on a daily basis. Social workers’ activities include providing support to families in difficulty, removing children from dangerous situations and arranging adoption and fostering.

Other, updated figures show more than half of councils (60%) feel it has got more difficult to recruit children’s social workers since October 2008 and around a third (34%) say retention has worsened over the same time, with frontline staff the most affected.

As part of the Local Government Association’s “Respect and Protect” campaign, councils all over the country are being offered free posters aimed at boosting the image of the social work profession, and encouraging the respect social workers deserve.

The images are being displayed for the first time at the LGA Group’s annual conference, taking place in Harrogate (June 30th – July 2nd, 2009).

Cllr Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the LGA, said:

“Children’s social workers have some of the toughest jobs in the country, and for councils they continue to be some of the toughest posts to fill. Dedicated frontline social workers are expected to make difficult and delicate decisions about people’s lives, always aiming to give vulnerable children the best possible chances in life.

“Everyone is aware of tragic stories of child cruelty which reach the courts. They are desperately sad situations which everyone would like to see eliminated, and there is no excuse for poor performance by staff working in this crucial area. But it would be a mistake to let a small number of failings overshadow the considerable amount of good done by social workers.

“Social workers should be proud of what they do. Councillors want social workers to be able to hold their heads high when they tell people about their jobs, and it is partly down to councils to show they are proud of them as employees.

“The posters being unveiled during the LGA’s annual conference are part of our on-going efforts to give practical support to those involved with the social work profession. Councils all over the country know how vital the role of social workers is, and displaying these images in local areas will hopefully help develop a better understanding of what a difference they make to thousands of youngsters.”

ENDS

Author: LGA Media Office: 020 7664 3333
Contact: LGA Media Team: 020 7664 3333

Notes to editors

The poster images are available on request from sarah.cordey@lga.gov.uk

An on-line survey was sent out to 165 councillors in charge of Children’s Services in English local authorities between 23 April and 1 May 2009 and there was a response rate of almost 48%.

 
Reporting – nationally – Impact on morale

In your opinion, what impact do you think the reporting of the Baby P case has had on social workers nationally?

A negative impact
 65
 87.8%
 
No impact
 3
 4.1%
 
A positive impact
 2
 2.7%
 
Don’t know
 4
 5.4%
 
Total
 74
 100.0%
 

Reporting – nationally – Impact on public perception

In your opinion, what impact do you think the reporting of the Baby P case has had on social workers nationally?

A negative impact
 67
 93.1%
 
No impact
 3
 4.2%
 
A positive impact
 1
 1.4%
 
Don’t know
 1
 1.4%
 
Total
 72
 100.0%

Reporting – local area – Impact on morale

In your opinion, what impact do you think the reporting of the Baby P case has had on social workers in your area?

A negative impact
 61
 82.4%
 
No impact
 4
 5.4%
 
A positive impact
 7
 9.5%
 
Don’t know
 2
 2.7%
 
Total
 74
 100.0%

Reporting – local area – Impact on public perception

In your opinion, what impact do you think the reporting of the Baby P case has had on social workers in your area?

A negative impact
 60
 82.2%
 
No impact
 12
 16.4%
 
A positive impact
 1
 1.4%
 
Don’t know
 0
 0.0%
 
Total
 73
 100.0%