Social Workers - Good or Bad?

Question

I'm very interested to find out what people think of social workers and any dealings they might have had with them. SW's get a pretty bad press, and it is one of the least respected professions in Britain (I think). Is it justified?

Thank you for the links, Nutsters-Chick. I have heard the story of the first one, and was told something quite different! The first two children suffered serious abuse at the hands of their parents, and when the third came along and they fled to Ireland, an english judge allowed them back on the condition of 24 hour supervision. One story - 2 very different sides!!!

Answer 1

my son has special needs which is moderate learning difficulties with severe behaviour problems. he needs 24 hour care at the age of 20 years old. in social services there are dept that deal with different cases for example elderly, children, disabled adults and disabled children. I requested a social worker because I needed respite because my son is hard work looking after him. The social worker i got was a lovely lady whom help me alot. she got me some respite and community nurse to help to manage my son. social workers are not there just to take children away if the parents are bad parents. i got a social worker because i requested one so i could get respite from my son. They do a lot of good work but no one seems to hear that in the media.

Answer 2

I am a social worker in the mental health field. And No, not all social workers deal with protection and permanency issues.
For a university degree we are some of the lowest paid out there.
We deal with societies ills and many times it is a thankless profession. Our clients give us the reward, Volunteer at a homeless shelter or an addiction center or a retirement home for 1 week. Then you may get a feeling of the job of the social worker.

Answer 3

Social workers, along with teachers and the police are the big "no win" jobs in the UK, in that whatever they do someone always complains. Intervene and they are too strict or heavy handed, don't and they are too liberal. I work for a fostering agency which employs many SWs and most of them are professional, very hard working and deeply caring people. Social work like teaching and policing involves lots paperwork as well as the actual social work.

I really do respect Social Workers but I woul not want to be one.

Answer 4

I work with Social Workers in a professional capacity and they do work very hard and are always under a lot of pressure. They have a pivotal roll to play which makes them open to easy criticism because if things don't work out, it's usually them that get it in the neck and everyone else forgets their own responsibilities. It is said they have case notes in one pocket and a calculator in the other - the constant offsetting of care provision against funding provision must drive them to despair. I think they have a hard job and I wouldn't want to do it. They do get a bad press and it is sometimes their fault - there are good and bad people in all fields - but I think they have an almost impossible job to do.

Answer 5

SRS, Pawnee Mental Health and Court Officer Sue Luke are all bad bad bad. I seen what is going on for years and the sadness they create. I think for some of them they are bad for their own job security. Its the courts who order social workers who are the worst of the evils

Answer 6

Some people always have something negative to say about others who try to make if better. Of COURSE social workers are necessary AND good. Sure, there are some negligent ones who shouldn't be trusted with a cat but the most of them are doing excellent work at not a proper pay and for this, they deserve a big up....

Answer 7

Social Workers generally do a bad job, not all of them of course but most.
The main purpose of Social work today is protecting themselves from Court Cases against them or public enquiries, not the well being of those that they are charged with caring for.
A lot of social workers would agree with me about this, I think they are basically good folk with good intention working in a dysfunctional system

Answer 8

like any profession there are the Very good & the Very bad.
it's not a job that i could do,
it must be a mine-field trying to keep everybody happy & virtually impossible.

Answer 9

social workers are 2 types

1.prostitutes=good
2.nuns=bad

Answer 10

yes if they are really authentic social workers.. just look at those red cross volunteers. they are social workers. its one of the noble work.