Tell me what you think of social workers!

[ScummyMummy]

Pleeese! For my final piece of college work. Go on- you know you want to...

1. Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers? Powerless Supportive Interfering Non-judgemental Overworked Powerful Oppressive Prejudiced Helpful

2 a) Are your thoughts about social workers
a) Mostly positive
b) Mostly neutral
c) Mostly negative

2b) Why do you think this is?

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly succeed in protecting children
   b) Sometimes succeed in protecting children
   c) Rarely succeed in protecting children
   d) I don?t know

6. If people with severe mental illnesses become dangerous to others, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   b) Sometimes offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   c) Rarely offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   d) I don?t know

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job?

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers?

She isn't yet but she soon will be Fio

I've had a fair bit of experience of social workers because I grew up in a family with two adopted children with various special needs raning from autism to cerebral palsy. Social workers were around/involved from the start.

Generally speaking I found them rude, poorly trained, insensitive, overbearing and suspicious . And when our family ran into real problems and needed support/respite care/real input from SS, they weren't interested.

I had a guilt pang too as my answers were based mostly on dp brother experience..mental health related and his situation seems unimprovable for one reason and another with the current availability of services

my brother is a child protection social worker and I know I couldn't do that job..I have great respect for him as he went into it late and must be dedicated

no direct experience of SW's (but MIL was one , in Hastings)

1. Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers? Powerless Supportive (but sadly this is often not perceived by their clients/the rest of us) Interfering Non-judgemental Overworked Powerful Oppressive Prejudiced helpful

2 a) Are your thoughts about social workers
a) Mostly positive
b) Mostly neutral
c) Mostly negative

2b) Why do you think this is?
because when I hear "bad" stories about them I tend to assume that the system/workload is at fault rather than the individuals involved. I cannot imagine anyone going through the SW training to "interfere" or remove children from their families. I feel they're also in a can't do right for doing wrong situation, a lot of them time. it's also a difficult balance to try & befriend someone (about something as intimate as parenting/SN etc) and offer them practical, official help.
@ Fio's tale too

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly succeed in protecting children
   b) Sometimes succeed in protecting children
   c) Rarely succeed in protecting children
   d) I don?t know

6. If people with severe mental illnesses become dangerous to others, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   b) Sometimes offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   c) Rarely offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   d) I don?t know

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?
   no (but have worked in admin capacity in Social Services dept)

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job?
   Be realistic. Try to imagine how you'd like to be treated (true of most jobs or situations). It's fine to admit when you're wrong. Don't try to be a superwoman, we're all human. (not particularly aimed at you )

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers?
   just do your best honey

1. Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers? Interfering Oppressive

2 a) Are your thoughts about social workers

c) Mostly negative

2b) Why do you think this is?

media attention primarily the most infamous sectors of social work usually require the negative aspects as part of doing a good job

ie - child snatching

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers

d) I don?t know

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers

d) I don?t know

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers

c) Rarely succeed in protecting children
d) I don?t know

6. If people with severe mental illnesses become dangerous to others, do you think social workers

d) I don?t know

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job?

nothing. i am assuming they work within a restrictive policy framework. i am sure the person behind the social worker is usually everything a good person should be - however despite the intentions, the manner of the person - the framework of the job itself can only allow certain action or non action to take place, this is serious core policy stuff which is changed by - govt and media influence - i assume?

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers?

whats with the cord skirts?

my generla opinion of the person behind the social worker is middle class do gooder - liberal pinko guardianista type who wears cord skirts and wants to help " change things"

very patronising in my opinion.

then after a few years - its a job with a pension isn't it!

we know whats best for you becuase we are better educated you know

bollocks.

( can you say bollocks in your dissertation ?)

Pleeese! For my final piece of college work. Go on- you know you want to...

1. Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers? Interfering Overworked Powerful Prejudiced

2 a) Are your thoughts about social workers
c) Mostly negative

2b) Why do you think this is?

Press coverage
Heartbreaking tales on MN (esp. SN section and Bunglie )

I know there must be good ones out there but I never hear about them

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers c) Rarely offer useful support

Resources too small/caseloads too heavy

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers

d) I don?t know

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers
   d) I don?t know

6. If people with severe mental illnesses become dangerous to others, do you think social workers
   c) Rarely offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?

no

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job?

Listen
Don't pass the buck

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers?

Saying all of this, they do a very difficult job. Good luck SM

i missed out out number 7
no i havent - my BIL deals with cafcass - is that social work?

he seems to think they are alright

Thanks, bundle. V helpful. I'm amazed at how brilliantly thought out and well written all these replies are- really top notchly useful. I already have some good quotations to use. And fio and zippy- don't dare feel guilty! Your experiences are vital and, I suspect, that the theme of finding that people with real experience of social workers view them more negatively may run through. That will be really important and telling if it does happen.

actually i did contact mental health team about my mother - they were most unhelpful as i wanted to remain anonymous so she woulnt hate me forever - seems sensible - but POLICY and RULES dictate they can't just go and say " somone anon thinks youur a bit of a nutter"

apparently.

Thanks custy and plug. I am so happy with all these replies. FEeel off to a good start.

They are wrong there, I think custs.
I will def quote the cord skirt pinko bit but will have to edit out the bollocks bit I fear!

also scumster, did you see the article in last weekend's Guardian ? Fascinating reading.

Oh, and for all their obsession with "child protection" and their invasive, insulting, condescending attitude towards people, and their perception of themselves as God's emissaries on earth with the right to disrupt other people's families on the very flimsiest of evidence whenever the whim takes them... present them with a family who is really struggling and in need of support/services/practical help, and they couldn't give two tugs of a dead dog's cock.

grrrr fio. I am honestly shocked at this sort of story. I had hoped that quite a bit of the negativity about social workers from some clients was due to the fact that e.g. parents who are being investigated for possible child protection concerns or people so mentally unwell that they need to be put in hospital against their will are unlikely to appreciate the actions of social workers even if they are sometimes necessary. I would be very unhappy myself in those situations. I'm sure. But it's really shite to hear that lots of people who just need some help get such a bloody awful service.

Greensleeves- I am afraid my sw red tape dictates that you need to say this on my official form. Would you mind? I like cut of your jib old bean and would love to quote you but my methodology requires that everyone gets asked the same questions.

Have bookmarked that, bundle.

hank you thank you thank you guys.

Can anyone else fill this out for me? It's about general public perception so I'm interested in EVERYONE'S views, not just those who've had a social worker. The stuff so far has been brilliant. But I need as many views as possible so anyone else's contribution would be greatly appreciated...

1. Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers? Powerless Supportive Interfering Non-judgemental Overworked Powerful Oppressive Prejudiced Helpful

2 a) Are your thoughts about social workers
a) Mostly positive
b) Mostly neutral
c) Mostly negative

2b) Why do you think this is?

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly succeed in protecting children
   b) Sometimes succeed in protecting children
   c) Rarely succeed in protecting children
   d) I don?t know

6. If people with severe mental illnesses become dangerous to others, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   b) Sometimes offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   c) Rarely offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   d) I don?t know

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job?

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers?

1. Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers? Powerless X Supportive Interfering Non-judgemental Overworked X Powerful Oppressive Prejudiced Helpful X

2 a) Are your thoughts about social workers
a) Mostly positive
b) Mostly neutral X
c) Mostly negative

2b) Why do you think this is?

Not much contact with them. Only know one (geriatric) SW and she's a friend rather than someone I've had professional contact with.

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know X

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support X
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly succeed in protecting children
   b) Sometimes succeed in protecting children X
   c) Rarely succeed in protecting children
   d) I don?t know

6. If people with severe mental illnesses become dangerous to others, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   b) Sometimes offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others X
   c) Rarely offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   d) I don?t know

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?
   No

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job?

Remember that everyone is an individual, and each case should be dealt with as such.

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers?

I think they often get a bad press, but at the same time being stressed or overworked is no real excuse for treating clients badly.

Which of the words on this list you would particulary associate with social workers?

Supportive
overworked
powerful
helpful
interfering (sometimes)

2. Are your thoughts about social workers

b) Mostly positive

2b) Why do you think this is?

Because from my own personal experiances, the SW involved with our case was very helpful, professional, to the point & gave great support to us as a family. She handled the whole situation very carefully.

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers mostly offer useful support?

b) Sometimes offer useful support

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers

d) I don't know

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers

b)sometimes succeed in protecting children

6. If people with severe mental illness become dangerous to others, do you think social workers

b) sometimes offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?

I had a social worker involved with my family for a short while, due to my H's anger problems. She worked alongside my HV & visited the family home twice, giving great suggestions for positive parenting techniques.
I also have a close friend who had social workers involved with her family for some time, due to very severe PND.

8. What advice would you give to a social worker wanting to do a good job?

To really listen to people & not to jump to conclusions.

9. Do you want to say anything else about social workers?

Thank you very much serenity and lemmingswife.

Anyone else want to add their thoughts?

1. Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers? Powerless Supportive Interfering Non-judgemental Overworked Powerful Oppressive Prejudiced Helpful

2 a) Are your thoughts about social workers
a) Mostly positive
b) Mostly neutral
c) Mostly negative

2b) Why do you think this is?

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support
   c) Rarely offer useful support
   d) I don?t know

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly succeed in protecting children
   b) Sometimes succeed in protecting children
   c) Rarely succeed in protecting children
   d) I don?t know

6. If people with severe mental illnesses become dangerous to others, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   b) Sometimes offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   c) Rarely offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others
   d) I don?t know

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job?

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers?

Thank you the frau of California.