Public opinion of social workers worsens after Baby P

Two in five people say their opinion of child social workers has got worse since the tragic case of Baby P, according to a poll by the Local Government Association.

The survey also reveals that nearly four in five (78 per cent) would support more resources being given to local authority children’s social services.

Just over half (52 per cent) would recommend social work as a career for a family member or friend, compared to just 39 per cent of people who would recommend social work as a career for their own child.

The LGA said the findings reinforced the fears of council leaders that the fallout from the Baby P case will lead to a decline in respect for child social workers, an increase in departures from the profession and difficulty in attracting new candidates. This could increase the chances of child abuse being missed.

Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “There are real difficulties for councils in recruiting and retaining high calibre child social worker staff. We must look to the future and recruit and retain staff so that they can protect the most vulnerable children in society.

“There should be a long-term commitment by all those who support social workers to prove to people that we now need them more than ever if we are to protect children from abuse at the hands of dangerous individuals.”

The LGA commissioned ComRes to conduct the survey. The pollsters interviewed 1,005 adults by telephone between 20 and 22 March 2009.