Survey shows media ignorance about social work
Fewer than half of journalists surveyed by Community Care know that social workers must have a degree in order to practise.
Our poll of journalists in England found that 47% believed the minimum required qualification was a degree, while nearly a quarter said an NVQ was needed. Ten per cent said A-levels and a further 10% opted for GCSEs. One person believed no qualifications were required.
The findings also revealed journalists are confused by the distinction between social work and social care, with 68% of respondents saying “care worker” was a social work post. In addition, 18% believed foster carers were working in a social work post and 7% said nursery workers were employed in social work.
The 10-question survey, which was completed by 30 journalists from national to local media, including three specialist social care writers, found 20% believed social workers were better than they were 15 years ago while 13% said they were worse.
About 70% said they would approach the British Association for Social Workers for a social work perspective on a story, while two-thirds said they would contact the local authority concerned. One-third said they would contact the NSPCC.
The survey was conducted as part of Community Care’s Stand Up Now for Social Work campaign to raise the public standing of the profession, including through more balanced and accurate media coverage.
Improve media skills
The campaign is also calling for councils to improve their media skills to ensure they are more responsive to the press and enhance opportunities for positive coverage.
The survey follows widespread concerns by social work leaders about media coverage of the profession. In an online survey conducted earlier this year, the Social Work Task Force found that 88% of respondents agreed that “the social work profession was undervalued, poorly understood and under continuous media attack”.
In its latest report, the taskforce proposed the creation of a national college of social work to give the profession a stronger voice in the media, and issued a proposed description of social work to aid public understanding (www.communitycare.co.uk/whatissocialwork).
Taskforce chair Moira Gibb said: “It is very interesting to see that the results of this survey back up the evidence that the Social Work Task Force has gathered so far – that there is a real lack of understanding around what social workers do. We hope that this description will start to aid understanding – both by journalists and, in turn, by the public.”
Ignorant of social work
The findings did not surprise BASW chief executive Hilton Dawson. “We know that even the supposedly better quality print and broadcast media are ignorant of social work from the way they use outdated words such as social services and child protection or at-risk registers so I’m sorry to say that your findings don’t come as any surprise at all,” he said.
“Much of my profound irritation with the media stems from being asked often to fill in with a comment on a poorly researched piece to support a story which has already been written and in any case misses the point.”
He said BASW was about to appoint its first public relations manager to build relationships with the media and “offer real stories” about social work.
“Hopefully, we will be able to engage better with those who are prepared to hear,” Dawson added.
“Social workers need to speak out”
Guardian journalist Debbie Andalo, who has written about social work for 10 years, said she often struggled for comments from frontline local authority social workers but those in the voluntary and independent sectors were more forthcoming.
She recently edited a social work supplement and was unable to find a single social worker employed by a council to comment. Instead she interviewed social workers elsewhere, including from an independent fostering agency.
“I understand the nervousness, especially after cases like Baby P, but the more frontline social workers talk about their jobs the more understanding there will be of the challenges they face,” Andalo said.
“It would help if there were more social workers who would speak on the record about what their job involves. They have to take some responsibility for that – perhaps be a bit more courageous.”
The survey said…
● Who do you go to for a social work perspective on a story?
“Normally wouldn’t because it is notoriously difficult to get a social work perspective on a story.”
● Who can you complain to about the conduct of a social worker?
“Their boss, local health trust, police, MI5.”
Source: CommunityCare
Bonuses for Social Workers
Social workers will receive bonuses for helping looked-after children reach goals linked to educational attainment, stability of placements and finding jobs, in one of the government’s social work practice pilots.
Liverpool-based charity Personal Service Society, which launches one of the practices under contract from Liverpool Council in the autumn, will also offer high street vouchers and gym memberships to staff and reward children for their achievements.
Social work services will be outsourced for groups of 100-200 looked-after children in each of the six pilot areas. Kent Council has chosen young people’s charity Catch22 as its provider, while Hillingdon, Sandwell, Staffordshire and Blackburn with Darwen councils are recruiting groups of registered social workers to run the practices.
Funded from savings
PSS commercial director Paul Clitheroe said bonuses for staff could be funded from savings on placements in children’s homes.
“Research shows that those who have a stake in an organisation are more loyal and less likely to leave,” he said. “This is because they feel they don’t have to leave to improve their pay and conditions.”
PSS is recruiting a team of 12 professionals including seven social workers – with a caseload of about 17 each – two family support workers and a counsellor.
A consultant social worker will oversee spending, supervision, case allocation and professional development, with equivalent status to a partner in a GP surgery.
Building partnerships
A practice manager will be responsible for day-to-day business and building partnerships with other agencies, with support from a receptionist.
In Kent, Catch22 will take over the cases of between 100 and 200 young people aged 16 and above. Experienced social workers will lead the multi-agency practice, which will also comprise professionals from mental health, Connexions, and housing.
Joyce Moseley, chief executive of Catch22, said: “We welcome the opportunity to pilot this scheme, which will be all about giving frontline workers more freedom to make decisions with the young people in their care.”
The government will make a decision about whether to implement social work practices nationwide in 2013.
Source: CommunityCare
Government backs GP earnings
The Government defended GP earnings after an investigation found some were taking home more than £300,000 a year.
The Daily Mail used the Freedom of Information Act to ask primary care trusts for the GP with the highest earnings in the area.
The overall highest paid family doctor, in the North East Essex PCT, which covers surgeries in the Colchester area, earned £380,394.
Since the introduction of the new GP contract in 2004, doctors can also earn as much as £204 an hour for evening and weekend work, the investigation found. The Department of Health said the new contract has led to improvements in the recruitment and retention of doctors as well as services for patients.
It also said most GPs have seen no increase in their pay over the last three years. Out of 152 PCTs, 22 replied to the freedom of information request, with many others claiming the information was confidential or held by a private company.
In some cases the figures also include money doctors have to pay for staff salaries and rents. A GP in Kirklees, which covers Huddersfield and Dewsbury, earned £321,794, while the highest earning GP in the south London boroughs of Sutton and Merton earned £319,000.
A Norfolk GP was taking home £310,000 – even after outgoings were subtracted.
A British Medical Association spokesman said: “These figures don’t tally with statistics based on GP tax returns. Primary care trusts have information based on the amount of income a practice receives – this is not what GPs earn as clearly there are many expenses to be paid such as staff pay and rent.
“There is huge variation in these figures and this is not reflected in previous statistics, which show very little difference between the highest and lowest earning areas of the country.”
A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Before the new contract GP recruitment and retention was a real problem. Since then we have achieved dramatic improvements in GP services as well as getting better value for money out of the contract.”
Cap On Junior Doctor Hours Introduced
European rules preventing trainee doctors from working more than 48 hours a week have come into force.
Doctors’ organisations have criticised the European Working Time Directive, saying the reduced hours means there is too little time to provide training.
And there have been concerns it could hamper the NHS response to swine flu.
But the government says 97% of the NHS has already met the new requirements, with no effect on training, and plans are in place to cope with swine flu.
In the mid-1990s, some junior doctors had working weeks which typically topped 100 hours.
The directive took effect for many other workers in 1998, but the changes to reduce doctors’ working hours were incremental and began with consultants.
By 2004, junior doctors were included in a 58-hour working week target and by 2007 this was down to a 56-hour week.
As of 1 August, the target will be 48-hour-weeks for the UK’s 60,000 junior doctors.
Contracts asking trainee doctors to work outside the regulations will be illegal and all rotas must be based on the 48-hour model.
But individual doctors can opt out, although this has to be voluntary.
However doctors cannot opt out of taking 11 hours continuous rest out of 24, or out of ensuring they have 24 hours continuous rest out of each seven days.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: “Where a service needs additional hours of cover individual doctors can voluntarily opt-out of the 48-hour limit to provide this.”
Only a few specialist areas will be exempt from the new rules.
‘Sophistry’
But the British Medical Association said evidence on the ground contradicted the claim that the NHS was ready for the change.
Dr Andy Thornley, chairman of the BMA’s junior doctors committee. said: “We are not reassured by government reports that the NHS is 97% compliant with the new working time regulation as we fear many junior doctors are being pressured to lie about their hours.
“And our members are worried about their training; many feel it has reduced in quality as working hours have been reduced.”
NHS organisations have told us consistently that they are ready
David Grantham, NHS Employers
He said it was possible to meet training demands and maintain patient services, but that managers would need to rely more on consultants than they do now.
But John Black, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said the government had failed to listen to its concerns about needs within surgery.
“It is sophistry for the Department of Health to on the one hand deny an opt-out for surgeons that would enable us to organise safe patient care and good training but then hope doctors will opt-out individually to cover staff shortages to keep the service running.”
But David Grantham, of NHS Employers, said: “NHS organisations have told us consistently that they are ready for implementation of the directive for junior doctors.
He added: “It remains appropriate that outside of exceptional or emergency circumstances, such as a flu pandemic, doctors like other health professionals, and their patients, should be protected by the reasonable controls on working hours set out in the working time regulations.”
But shadow health minister Stephen O’Brien said: “Labour’s failure to negotiate an opt-out for junior doctors will compromise NHS services and could undermine patient care.
“As swine flu puts an increasing strain on our hospitals the need for the opt-out is even greater.”
Source: BBC
Job Advert – 23rd July 2009
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Whilst experience in care is welcome and an advantage for this role, it is not essential.
Choice Care offers 4 weeks paid holiday and enhanced pay rates are offered to staff with NVQ Qualifications or the equivalent* in care.
Choice Care likes to offer our clients something new and believe that the people receive the highest standard of care.
If you’re looking for a role in care then feel free to contact us for more information or download an application pack from out website www.choicecareagency.co.uk
Or contact us on 0844 586 4683.
Salary from £6.30 to £7.50 per hour
Bank holiday rate: £9 per hour
Sleep-in rate: £35
Please CLICK HERE to Download our latest Application Form.
Please send to the address on the Contact Us Page or scan and email to info@choicecareagency.co.uk.
Job Advert – 20th July 2009
Are you looking for flexible and rewarding work?
Choice Care is a friendly and newly established company that can help.
We are currently looking for Support workers, Care Attendants and Social Workers in Berkshire and surrounding areas.
Working hours: Full / Part time
Choice Care offers a service to people living in Supported Accommodation, Care homes, Hospitals and Children’s Homes.
Whilst experience in care is welcome and an advantage for this role, it is not essential.
Choice Care offers 4 weeks paid holiday and enhanced pay rates are offered to staff with NVQ Qualifications or the equivalent* in care.
Choice Care likes to offer our clients something new and believe that the people receive the highest standard of care.
If you’re looking for a role in care then feel free to contact us for more information or download an application pack from out website www.choicecareagency.co.uk
Or contact us on 0844 586 4683.
Salary from £6.30 to £7.50 per hour
Bank holiday rate: £9 per hour
Sleep-in rate: £35
