Unfortunately there are some jobs where people who are bad at them or dishonest or malicious or racist/discriminatory/ or anything like that have high stakes for the families they work with.
These also tend to be the same type of roles where a professional in general is more likely to believed over the family.
And because the stakes are so high it can have catastrophic results,
I've worked with HV's who cancelled meetings then noted that the family cancelled or have made allegations with the family having no knowledge when they shouldn't hbe (even about the wrong family on occasions) ones who view a situation obviously wrongly and intentionally ramp up concerns all to protect the little kiddies,I've met outright dishonest ones and incredibly stupid ones just the same as every other profession I regularly come into contact with. Luckily personally I have only ever come into contact with either great ones o slightly scatty but otherwise harmless ones but professionally is a whole other kettle of fish.
I get grief from a fair few of them as (I openly record all my meetings and attend a fair few with mums)if they lie or misrepresent I do call them out on it, I think rather than defend any shit employee if more decent HV's (or any other role that has the same dynamics between service users/worker) did so it would go a long way to changing perceptions and repairing the damage bad ones cause.
Peoples talking about the bad ones may harm the profession but it is the fault of the bad ones.
So many can be resistant to communicating in writing or making comprehensive notes the type of thing that protects everybody - in my experance if you have one whose cagey about emails or letters then I would be more vigilant when working with them.
And around here they are SS lite the role has changed yet they struggle to be open about it.
I compleatly agree with MrsD nothing wrong with the role but the old role is still a valuable one just as the new one is only problem is only one gets done now.