How useless are birminghams social woprkers?

[Capn_Jack]

6 of them sacked.Its director Colin Tucker said they showed "no sign whatsoever" of adhering to expected standards.
None of the social workers he claims he has sacked had anything to do with child care, let alone the tragic case of Khyra Ishaq who was starved to death.
Eight children known to social services have died in the city in three years.

So who is hiring these useless and inadequate social workers?

[northernmonkey]

Its not just Birmingham, its everywhere.

Service is shocking/poor.

[Capn_Jack]

I thought they had to be graduates or am i wrong? Do they just employ anyone these days?

[askyourgran]

It makes me feel ill to think that the poor children needing help are being helped by nincompoops, and not just in Birmingham. Who oversees these people why aren't double checks being made. How many times has Ed Balls said that "this will not happen again", but it goes on and on. Like most Departments they are probably short staffed but where life and well being are concerned you would think that extra staffing would be paramount.

[Capn_Jack]

8 known to them in 3 years have died. What were the social workers doing ?
Playing on their computers on facebook or games sites? They should be ashamed.

[Capn_Jack]

Ive just read some posts from someone thats a social worker on chatterbank. They seem to care as little as these social workers.
Is here a culture of not caring in the social work field now?

[askyourgran]

I salute you Cpn Jack read the same thread.

[Capn_Jack]

I dont want to trade insults there with the rabble. But how can a social worker be so negative about their cases? If they dont like criminals then why are they working in socialwork? Is this why theres so many deaths with the children because ssome social workers just dont care about the children either? I am shocked and cannot believe it . Surely noone would behave like that if they were a social worker?

[Capn_Jack]

I wont be posting any more about this subject. Ive now been called a spineless lowlife and scum. On that insult i will now log off and return to the real world for some respite. It can get really nasty sometimes.

[jno]

are you sure you aren't just using social workers as scapegoats here? You're demanding that they shouldn't just take care of the people others won't have anything to do with but that they should love them too? If anything goes wrong they get far more criticism than, say, a doctor whose patient dies, yet they're expected to do the job on about a quarter of the pay. It's hardly suprising if they don't feel any great emotional attachment to their jobs or their clients.

[Androcles]

This sounds like a lynch mob! As far as I am aware none of these social workers beat, burnt, tortured, kicked, starved, or left locked up in filth, any children. Generally their parents or family members did that. So let's see some condemnation of the people who actually did these things.

How many of the people condemning all social workers on the basis of these cases have actually been in the position of having to deal with one of these families? And how many people have got up in arms when social workers have removed children from homes when the parents say the causes are "minor." (They would , wouldn't they?) Soclal workers get abused and assaulted trying to do this job - it is estimated that there are around 50,000 assaults a year on them ( see http://www.communityc...y-year-lga-claims.htm ) and many of these staff are doing their best in very difficult circumstances, with up to double the case load they are supposed to carry. I am not defending the incompetent or inadequate, just saying that they are not all tarred by the same brush.

For the record, I'm not a social worker, just want to see a little balance in the debate.

[anotheoldgit]

We constantly hear the phrase "lessons will have to be learned" or words similar, but it would seem they very really are.

Whatever happened to that other phrase "the buck stops here"?

Heads should roll from the top downwards, not the other way round.

[Capn_Jack]

Sack any of them that cant or wont pull their weight. Theyre happy to collect the wages they should do the job. Its a no brainer really. If you cant do the job then go.