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Baby P case highlights London's acute lack of social workers
Tim Ross06.05.09
London faces a severe shortage of social workers to protect vulnerable children like Baby P from abuse, ministers said today.
A government-commissioned review found social workers struggle with inadequate computer systems, burdensome targets and a culture of widespread public criticism and distrust.
Many recruits are not up to the job, while the outcry over the Baby P case has “demoralised” the profession.
The report, from Camden council's chief executive Moira Gibb, came as ministers announced a multi-million-pound drive to recruit top graduates into social work careers.
Ms Gibb's review painted a picture of a profession in crisis:
● Staff “do not have enough time” to devote to children, it said. “High caseloads and vacancy rates contribute to this.”
● Social workers feel their profession is “undervalued, poorly understood and under constant media attack”, a situation exacerbated by the furore over the death of Baby Peter in Haringey.
● Staff were intensely frustrated by the computer system.
● New workers are “often” unprepared, while trainees do not always have the “intellectual and interpersonal skills” they need.
Children's Secretary Ed Balls said recruitment difficulties varied across the country but were “particularly acute” in London.
He announced an extra £58 million for training new social workers and convincing those who have left the profession to return over the next two years.
The money will also fund conversion courses for 200 of the highest achieving graduates with degrees in any subject to train.
Councils are already being forced to offer higher salaries to attract child protection staff after the national outcry over the death of Baby P.
Mr Balls said: “Our ambition is for social work to be a high-quality profession with the confidence of the public.”
The minister was setting out the Government's response to Lord Laming's inquiry into child protection which followed the death of baby Peter.
Aged 17 months, Peter died after suffering months of abuse at the hands of his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger in August 2007. He had been on Haringey's at-risk register.
The Government's reforms include appointing a child protection czar, Sir Roger Singleton, who will report to Parliament. Ministers will also introduce new targets for child protection.
Reader views (19)
I was disgusted with what happened to baby p. Baby p should of been moved into care when there was first signs of abuse to protect baby p but no baby p was left to die. Social worker need to look at it that a chid is in ther hands to proteced and to be look after. Unless a major incident happened things get changed. There need to be more social worker and more frequent visits made with another social worker as second opion because two heads are better than one. It hasnt been long when Victoria glumuy was killed.
- Harvinder Kaur, Willenhall
Baby P is nothing to do with the lack of social workers, it's all to do with a lack of considerate care and compassion.
Nothing in the world will make you compassionate unless it's in your heart.
- Royston Amphlett, Bournemouth England
wrong solution,the social workers in many of these cases were not overworked.They simply failed to comprehend what was staring them in the face.
It is a processing problem, a form of brain damage caused by excessive exposure to ideological garbage about human nature.
- Frank, Yorkshire,England
'Even the three year undergraduate course does not allow enough time to study all the aspects of sociology, social sciences, social work theory etc. that could be included in a professionals working knowledge base. Indeed, specialising in one area can take years.'(Witheld)
This is the approach that has led to disaster: imagine how many courses you would need to take to become a police officer! Law, Sociology, Evidence, Social History, Criminology,....Already the police are wounded by the fact that graduates are offered accelerated promotion, favouring status over merit.They don't teach Guts at uni.
No knowledge of theory would be a handicap, but surely the priority is humane, no-nonsense people who don't mind getting their hands dirty and put commonsense first.
The obvious fact is that the 'market' price is too low: raise the salaries and see who comes forward.
- Mdj E10, london uk
No! No! No! Social workers are part of the problem, not the solution.
- Niall_Sullivan, Chester, UK
What we need to do is to retrain squaddies when they leave the army, to do this sort of work. They would not be afraid of dealing with violent abusive people who so often pull the wool over the eyes of softie social workers. No-one under the age of 30 should even be employed to carry out this type of work.
- Philly, London, England
Perhaps the real shortage is that of decent committed parents who will not harm their children, but nuture them instead. We might also look to some of the Scandinavian countries who have an excellent, open minded approach to social work and outstanding social workers.
- Helen, norwich
I cant believe that this is being proposed. Graduates have no life experience whatsoever so how can they possibly make decisions on children and their circumstances when they have no idea of real life.
- Julie, london
Jig from London had the same idea as I did many years ago in Social Services Department as admin. support. However, it was then pointed out to me that GOOD social work is not from 9amnto 5pm as some would like but goes on during the evenings etc. Also that women in their forties do not wish to change careers and do something different. It is a great shame as these are the sort we need- I know some of the people I worked with were quite brilliant and caring and others only came in for their pay cheques. It is the same with any job though.
Amber in Mitcham
- Amber In Mitcham, Mitcham Surrey
Let us not forget that Social Services also get involved with many elderly people. My experiences with my late mother suggest that many are not "fit for purpose". It may be more sensible to fast track (say a one year course)individuals of 40/50/60 who have genuine life experience with both children and the elderly. In reality a modern degree is often little harder than an A level of three or more decades ago!
- Michael Two, London
Possession of a degree certificate is not a guarantee that the person holding it has the skillset needed to do a social worker's job. The social workers I know are extremely dedicated people with a genuine concern for their fellow human beings - although sadly hamstrung by the bureaucracy, box-ticking and political correctness that seems to pass for management in social services these days. One of them was earmarked for "retraining" when an overzealous colleague made known to managers that she used "terms of endearment" such as "ducks" and "dearie" to elderly "clients" - who when asked actually thought it was quite nice and friendly. Social workers have a difficult job to do. Anyone they bring in should have real affinity for people - not a sheaf of qualifications that mean nothing in real life situations.
- Edward Thompson, Bedfordshire
So what happened to all the money spent on enquiries and training since Maria Cardwell in 1973? (It must never happen again) What steps are being taken this time to stop it ever happening again?
- Bj, London
if Lord Laming's advice points had been carried out previously there wouldn't be a problem i believe
- Helen, london england
It will not matter how many degrees social workers have - if the head of social services is as arrogant as Shoesmith then their main task will be to "tick boxes".
- R.F., Yorks, UK
Too much theory! What we need are social workers with experience of life, especially families. Why not look to train mothers aged 40+ with knowledge of the type of people needing help.
- Jig, London
One of the greatest problems with social workers is they do not have enough experience - before taking my degree course I worked as an auxilliary social worker . I got used to the smell of pee and gangrene in the elderly, the signs of a battered chind etc long before I graduated.
What we do not need is a group of graduate paper pushers .
- Terry, Hennebont France
I think they are simply throwing more money down the drain! Withheld has said it all.
The government needs to use this money to educate children and families at a lower level, in an attempt to prevent drug/alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancies, to promote social harmony. We are living in broken Britain.
Society is on a downward trend, which Labour seems to have accelerated.
Social workers are essential (especially now), but again, Labour is ignoring the root of the problem!
- Ray Charles, London
Social workers should be highly trained and have excellent people skills. The only ones I have ever encountered seem to be neither and the only one I knew very well as a friend had 'converted' into her job from doing an English Lit degree and was so stupid and dishonest and twisted I ceased my friendship with her. She was letting down her patients badly and was lazy and incompetent. She is the only person in my life who I have literally told to her face never to speak to me again. In response to the point below, social workers do get priority as "Key Workers" with councils and housing associations.
- Real, London
A Social Work Degree course is already in existence (as well as a masters course). Even the three year undergraduate course does not allow enough time to study all the aspects of sociology, social sciences, social work theory etc. that could be included in a professionals working knowledge base. Indeed, specialising in one area can take years. It seems that this is just some form of PR stunt by Labour. I would certainly feel more comfortable with the knowledge that a Social work student has achieved a basic pass rather than someone who has completed a hastily arranged conversion course (which I doubt could include anything more than the basics of theory given timescales) as they felt like a change of career.
Ed Balls would do better to try and increase the ongoing training (that is a pre-requisite of maintaining a GSCC membership) and raising pay scales to ensure staff retention rather than pushing qualified social workers into working as locums in order to try and pay their mortgages / rent. This is especially pertinent given the lower than inflation pay rise that was offered to social workers last year.
If they want to strengthen the profession then perhaps the government should look into preventitive measures rather than just knee-jerk reaction. After all, what is there to stop new 'conversion' social workers from signing up as locums as well and perpetuating the problem of workers not staying around long enough?
- Withheld, London, UK
