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?

Scummymummy - can this include psychiatric social workers?

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 X Supportive Interfering Non-judgemental Overworked Powerful Oppressive Prejudiced Helpful

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

2b) Why do you think this is? Have worked alongside many in my past life, and although they often were genuinley too over worked to help, or to do what they'd like, I never yet met one who didn't feel bad at that, or who didn't care.

3. When families with children 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

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 X
   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
   c) Rarely offer useful support to the person and succeed in protecting others X
   d) I don?t know

7. Have you or anyone close to you ever had a social worker?
   DS1 has had a visit from a social worker, because of his AS. he booked us into a holiday scheme, but it was over subscribed and the admin clerk told us she'sd get us a place only if she could, and immediately vanished never to be seen again. he is not our social worker, as AS isn't considered enough to get one round here, we had to self refer.

Dh never had any attention from them (or any other medical service) when he had severe mental health problems

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

Do your best, and be aware of how it is affecting you. be honest also- if you can't do it, don't say you can.

Oh yeah, remember that if a parent or other person self refers, they are desperate and need some help. People don't call in SS for no reason. Too much stigma.

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

Any replies welcome, Mercy. It's a survey about how the general public perceive social workers, not people who've had contact with social workers per se (though obviously I'm particularly interested in the views of people with direct experience and thankful for them). You can have had contact with no social workers, many or any social workers doing any type of work.

Thank you, PeachyClair.

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

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

2b) Why do you think this is?

I have met several through work, have friends who are social workers. As individuals the are very nice people. They hands are often tied over what they can accieve in sometime difficult circumstances and sometimes the are overly non-judgemental

3. When families with children 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

4. When elderly people need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support x
   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 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?
   My mother whan she became demented, social worker was excellent

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job?
   Sometimes people do things that are bad, sometimes the best place for a child is not with the parent, if that parent is going to hurt the child. sometimes being non judgemntal can cloud judgemnts of what is right and what is wrong.

Remember that when you talk to the school you may only have that child's interests at heart, the classroom teacher, while sympathetic to the plight of the individual, has to think of the well being and education of the other 29 children in the class, as well as the child under duscussion

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

thank you, mb

I am so pleased with all these replies. I don't think there's one which hasn't added massively to my project and there's so many quotable, well made points in the open ended bits.

Any more takers to be icing on my cake?

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

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

2b) Why do you think this is?

Partly from knowing a couple of social workers and partly, if I'm honest, as a backlash against those who always moan about them. It seems to me to be the most thankless job.

3. When families with children 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

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?

I had briefly had one when I was very young and being adopted, but I don't remeber them at all.

My grandfather (and my mother) had some dealings with them when he suffered from dementia.

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

I'm not sure I feel qualified to comment. I suppose be sensitive that your dealings with a family may be the most important thing to be happening to them, even if it is only a small fraction of your caseload.

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

I'm glad there are still people willing to take on what must be one of the most soul-destroying jobs around. I couldn't do it.

thank you beckybs

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

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

2b) Why do you think this is?
Because I personally know of a few incidents where children have been let down by social workers by being left with parents, especially parents on drugs. Social workers also seem to be complete jobsworths rather than using their common sense in a situation.

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
   c) Rarely offer useful support

5. When children are at risk of abuse, do you think social workers
   c) Rarely succeed in protecting children

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?
   I know some neighbours who have had social workers but no friends or family.

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

Trust your instincts. They should be perfectly honed or else why are you doing the job? Remember that the actions you take affect more than just the person involved.
Children come first, if a parent is on drugs/alcoholic then the child should be placed with a foster family until the parent is off drink/drugs, and that includes methodone. (Foster families offer a loving environment where for once the issue is about the child and not the parent's problems. My aunt was one so I know of what I speak.)

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers? People should be responsible for their own lives, you should be helping them realise this rather than hand holding them through life.

And good luck with your paper ScummyMummy. I am sure I am not the only one on here who would love to read the finished product if possible!

It should eventually be available in my uni library, twoifbysea but there is a long long way to go and lots of work to do before that point! Thank you for helping me take a baby step nearer that point though.

As a Social worker myself i shant complete the questionair...but do find the answer interetsing. sadly the responses are quite common.

you dont mention which field you wish the social workers to be judged upon. i am assuming you mean those kiddie snatchers from the families team lol.
i worked within youth offending so got spared a little...just seemed to be to blame for the rise in youth crime

) Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers?
Powerless NO
Supportive YES
Interfering NO
Non-judgemental NO
Overworked YES
Powerful NO
Oppressive NO
Prejudiced NO
Helpful YES

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

2b) Why do you think this is? I think they do a very difficult job in difficult circumstances, motivated mainly by altruistic reasons.

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 YES

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 YES

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 YES
   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 YES

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? Importance of good communications can't be over-emphasised. Many cases involving failures of child protection involve multiple communication breakdowns and too many different agencies involved with no clear lines of responsibility.

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

fattiemumma- you are a member of the general public as well as a sw so you are most welcome to complete a questionnaire. There are specific questions about family support, older people's support, child protection and mental health social workers but I am happy to hear about any type of social worker.

thanks dino the superstar.

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 XX Supportive XX Interfering Non-judgemental Overworked XX Powerful Oppressive Prejudiced Helpful XX

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

2b) Why do you think this is?

being a social worker myself i am acutly aware of teh flaws within the proffession. however i am aslo aware of the dedicated and hardworkign staff that make up the vast magority of my colleagues. no one joins this profession to earn a huge salary, nor do they do it because they wish to interfere in peoples lives....but somehow we become a little jaded at times by what we experiance on a day to day basis.

so although i feel there are good and bad points...my opinons on the proffession and those who do the job are somewhere in teh middle

3. When families with children need support, do you think social workers
   a) Mostly offer useful support
   b) Sometimes offer useful support XX
   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 XX
   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 XX
   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 XX
   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?

I am a social worker.
My son also had a social worker as he has special needs. sadly i proved to be too competant a parent and there fore my local SS department informed me theyc ould no longer offer me assistance. whilt i understood that resources are tight and they can only offer help to thise most in need it was very difficult to be told i could not receive help because i was doing a good job.

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

LISTEN.
nothing you do will ever be as usefull a tool as really listening to what service users are actually saying. we become machine like sometimes and only pick out key words when speaking to people...we will often miss some key information becasue we are concentrating on our next step rather than actually HEARING what is being said to us.

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

Not all of us are terrified to help abused chidlren. we dont all take youg offenders on holidays every week and we dont earn huge salaries and drive fantastic cars.
we do a very difficult job with extremly long hours and we dont stop workign just ebcause we leave the office.
there have been many highly publicised cases of poor practice and these social workers are right to be named and shamed for their poor judgment and neglect of their duties...however nothing we do is decided alone. everything is taken up the chain of command and the buck must not be passed to the foot soldiers every time.

Social services has been the por relation for years and its about time cebntral goverment started to proeprly fund initiatives so that we can actually do something to help thise in need. we are oftne criticised for not actually being able to DO anything...that is because such undefunding has prevented many projects from remaining open and so we mainly act as a refferal service in many cases.

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

b) Mostly neutral

2b) Why do you think this is?

Currently know of a Mental Health SW (through work) who is useless for both the service user and my colleagues. I know another MH SW who has been very good. DH's contact with SSD has also been mixed - EDT is usually excellent, but day to day contact is usually dreadful. (He's a police officer.) My other contact with SW through work is from over 8 years ago so not particularly helpful (and memory is hazy)

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 I do have contact through work.

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

Communicate - to the service-user on their level without patronising, and openly with other agencies working with your client.

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

I do think Social Services and Social Workers get a bad press, and Social Services is severely under-resourced.

I do think they are in a catch-22 situation a lot of the time. There have been (infamous) incidents of children being taken into care with seemingly little reason, and others where children really really should have been taken into care but weren't with tragic consequences.

Locally we have had at least one murdered child where SSD didn't take the child away from the family and other families where horrific abuse has occurred.

Good luck with this.

Thank you very much fattiemumma and mrs bang.

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 * when they choose to be Supportive Interfering * Non-judgemental Overworked * Powerful * in the wrong sort of way 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?

They have achieved no positive outcomes for myself or my family despite self-referral and a huge amount of initial optimism from me.

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?

We have had involvement from a children ad families team SW and adult mental health due to my partner's mental ill health

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

Listen. Cultivate conscientiousness. Overcome ignorance to prevent prejudice. Rememeber that little idea called 'joined up working'. Learn about supporting services.

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

I think they do an appalling job in many, many cases. I seriously question their respect of individual rights in terms of information sharing and confidentiality and that explanations owed to clients of SS teams are rarely given or offered.

They are heavy handed when it is clearly unnecessary and fail to act when need is dire. They have limited resources and families in need feel the effect of this in many ways. Early intervention is also impossible as a result.

I could go on...

Thasnks very much for that nannyme.

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? No

8. What advice would you give to social workers wanting to do a good job? Choose the team/authority you work for very carefully. Have regular supervision. If you are not supported, you won't be able to help others.

9. Do you want to say anything else about what you think of social workers? I don't think they should get more money than nurses

Thank you pluumy.

1. Which of the words on this list you would particularly associate with social workers? found there were two types

Interfering Supportive
Overworked Non-judgemental
Oppressive Helpful
Prejudice

2 a) Are your thoughts about social workers

c) Mostly negative

2b) Why do you think this is?

Had some bad experiences of social workers and their assumptions about me, my family and my situation

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

Again - I have had one that was fabulous and provided us with support and helpful and practical information and another who just had no idea!!

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

B

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 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? dh and I after dd1 was born with special needs.

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

listen not just hear what is said don't preach accept you won't always know the answer don't always think you know best
and if you say you will do something ie find some information or look into something - DO IT!

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

omg, as a sw, reading this is depressing. really can't people see the difference between sw as people and ss as the system they are forced to work within??
SM - what is your piece of work?

It's my dissertation for my MA, amber. I'm doing it on the public's perception of social workers. As I suspected, the message so far is broadly um, not good!

Thank you, eidsvold.