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US graduates without any experience hired as Haringey social workers
Benedict Moore-Bridger23 Feb 2009
THE council blamed for the Baby P tragedy hired inexperienced American college graduates to be highly paid social workers.
Haringey is one of a number of London boroughs to have looked to the US to fill its positions.
Many young recruits are lured to Britain with the promise of high salaries and a party lifestyle, and are making vital child protection decisions without a single day's training in Britain.
According to the Mail On Sunday, town hall bosses are using agencies to hire American students at salaries of up to £36,000, nearly twice what they could earn in America.
However, some new staff are so inexperienced they have never used public transport and have to be advised on how to cope with buses and the Underground. UK-Pro, based in Boston and Atlanta, and with a small office in Croydon, has 75 staff working for British councils on contracts ranging from a few months to several years. Haringey is among its clients.
It website states: "If you are a new graduate ... you have come to the right place for a job. The UK is experiencing a national shortage of social workers and needs your help."
It promises salaries of £36,000, relocation packages of £4,600 and the chance to "eat, drink and be merry".
But Linde Grant, director of UK-Pro, criticised London councils for their attitude to young staff. She said: "The councils do not offer good training for locums, there are not many that offer an adequate induction of even two hours. They just put them straight into cases."
Until 2007, UK-Pro placed between 10 and 20 staff with Haringey, she said. A Haringey spokesman said: "The council only employs fully-qualified social workers for front-line duties."
Reader views (10)
The mind boggles!!!!
GERONIMO
- Geronimo, LONDON MIDDLESEX, 24/02/2009 00:49
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Brandon Thomas.....I think you missed the point!!
- Paxton, n17, 23/02/2009 18:36
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Clearly not listening to HMV, British jobs for British workers.
Obviously sucking up to our former colony, and clearly insane as the US hired help would not be familiar with local customs, but the only advantage is that they speak a sort of English.
But then councils not known for their sanity.
- Hugh, Middx, 23/02/2009 16:50
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There is a plethora of "Universities" in the US that will offer degrees in anything and everything that are not worth the paper on which they are printed. I very much doubt that any British council which at the best of times is unable to tell the difference between its ar** and its ellbow will know the difference between the good degrees and the phony
- Ciccio, Toronto, Canada., 23/02/2009 15:37
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Sack Gordon Brown then Harringay can appoint him to one of its £36000 jobs.
- Alan Green, Woodford Green, 23/02/2009 15:28
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What's wrong with hiring college graduates?
- Brandon Thomas, SW7, London UK, 23/02/2009 15:20
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Many years experience of children plus 10 as a carer should qualify me for £70k salary. When do you want me to start?
- Michael, London, 23/02/2009 12:53
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Amen to that Sue. By the way £36,000 with no experience ? Why don't they just ask me ?
Where do I sign up ? How can this be true ?
- Jason Stone, Stratford, Newham, 23/02/2009 12:07
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Sue, Orpington; Whilst I agree with the general thrust of your comment, let's not forget that there are many fathers who are just as capable of applying traditional common self parenting skills, which is what is really needed here. As you say, one doesn't need a university degree in psychobabble to recognise a child that is in danger of being harmed.
Haringey council is thoroughbred NuLiebour, the fact that they are recruiting from overseas rather than in the UK shows just how much lip service is being paid to McBroon's "British jobs for British workers".
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 23/02/2009 12:02
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Social Services Departments would be better off employing women who have brought up their own families, irrespective of their 'academic' qualifications, which account for nothing in this kind of job. I'm sure they wouldn't have the wool pulled over their eyes if a child was in danger. They should be given more powers to insist on seeing the child and be able to fully inspect it for unaccedental injuries if they have doubts about its safety.
- Sue, Orpington, Kent, 23/02/2009 10:10
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