Sun Agony Aunt To Help Taskforce Boost Social Workers’ Image

The Sun’s agony aunt Deidre Sanders is among members of a government taskforce charged with finding ways to restore the battered public reputation of social work in the wake of the Baby P controversy, it was announced today.

Camden council’s chief executive, Moira Gibb, a former social worker and director of social services, will lead a “comprehensive review” of frontline social work practice, including training and “any other barriers social workers face in doing their jobs effectively”.

It is understood the review has been in gestation since last summer, and it will consider adult social services, although the renewed focus on perceived shortcomings in child protection social work practice in the media following events in Haringey since November will have given it extra urgency.

There is evidence many councils have found it more difficult to recruit and retain child protection social workers over the past two months, and morale has arguably dipped, at least in part because of the at times hysterical media coverage of the Baby P case.

Sanders’ paper has appalled many in the social work profession for its aggressive personal campaign against former Haringey children’s services director Sharon Shoesmith and frontline social workers involved in the Baby P case.

Announcing the review this morning, the children’s secretary, Ed Balls said: “The role of the taskforce will be to support and develop training, recruitment and day-to-day practice so that social work is seen to be a high quality and self-confident profession with the confidence and esteem of the public.”

Bob Reitemeier, the chief executive of the Children’s Society, and Andrew Webb, the corporate director for children and young people at Stockport council, are the deputy chairmen of the taskforce, which is expected to report in the summer.

Other members are: Celia Atherton, the founder of Research in Practice; Anne Beales, the director of service user involvement at Together – Working for Wellbeing; Kim Bromley-Derry, the director of children’s services at Newham council; Sue Butcher, the head of children and young people’s services at Gloucestershire; Richard Jones, the director of adult services for Lancashire; Diane Mallett, senior social worker, Barnsley adult social services; Helga Pile, Unison national officer for social care; Bridget Robb, professional officer with the British Association of Social Workers; Sue White, professor of social work at Lancaster University; Neil Wragg, the chief executive of charity Youth at Risk; and Maxine Wrigley, the national co-ordinator of A National Voice, the Care Leavers’ Organisation.