What now for Social work?

Tomorrow I am off to speak to the Social Work task force set up in the wake of the untimely death of Baby P and the subsequent Lord Laming report.

They meeting has been set up to answer the core Question “What now for Social work?”
It will be a difficult question to answer.

For a long time social work has been heading in a certain direction set by the Government and legislation, driven by the likes of you and me.

We have rightly raised her hands in horror at the many human tragedies which have been splashed across the media and said “No more, something must be done” and then asked our politicians to come up with an answer that will keep all children safe.

Of course isn’t possible, children and vulnerable people will, am afraid, always dying in the hands of malice determined people who will not be stopped by any intervention short of taking the vulnerable away from them.

Even then things are never really okay, for every professional knows removing children from their family can have serious consequences emotionally and there is always a difficult balance to be made.

Actually in most cases the social worker and other professionals do get it right, but is never perfect and the scar’s can be carried for life.

I think we have got it all wrong, we simply can’t keep play this macabre game of catch up trying to cover the flaws in the service with the sticking plaster of new practice and legislation.

We have to ask: ”Do we, as a society, really want to help all children? Do we want to protect and stop abuse? Do we want children and vulnerable people make the best of their lives supported by us, you and me?”

……. if you answered “Yes” then you will need to get yourself involved because if we really want to do this we have to look at the fabric of our society and change it. Make child care the responsibility of every citizen, make it part of our everyday life’s.

Be proactive instead of reactive.
Oh and be prepared to pay for it because it will cost a lot and we won’t be able to prove it’s been money well spent for a generation.