From mental health to child safeguarding: why we need to be reminded of the importance of social work

Five years after the start of a pandemic that turned lives upside down, the crippling cost of living crisis and the increasing challenges of an ageing population mean that the need for social workers has never been greater.

Yet the life-changing impact of their work is often overshadowed by negative media coverage and stereotyped portrayals on TV and film. And the longstanding shortage of child and family social workers is predicted to worsen over the next decade.

Only one in 10 social workers believe their role is well-respected in society, according to research commissioned by Social Work England. The regulator’s Change the Script campaign, therefore, aims to tell people what the job is really about – and highlight the fact that social workers are regulated professionals, just like doctors and nurses, who must be properly qualified and on Social Work England’s public register to practise legally.

And during Social Work Week, 17-21 March, now in its fifth year, social workers and the people they work with will come together to celebrate the profession’s contribution to society and consider the opportunities for growth.

“Social workers help individuals become the best version of themselves,” says Sarah Blackmore, executive director of professional practice and external engagement at Social Work England, which runs Social Work Week. “They work with them on what they want to do to achieve that, and they help advocate to get them the services and support to enable them to do it.

“People’s mental health is poorer than it’s ever been, and we’ve heard a lot recently about child sexual abuse and exploitation. All of these are areas where social work really comes into its own in terms of dealing with the most vulnerable people in society.”

While on-screen depictions of social work tend to focus on child protection, in reality the roles available are incredibly diverse.

Mallory Walton, an advanced social worker with West Sussex county council, works with asylum-seeking children who’ve arrived in the country without a parent or guardian. Often fleeing conflict or persecution, they’re frequently scared and traumatised. Others may seem fine on the outside, but later have breakdowns.

It’s deeply rewarding work. “These young people have come here to seek shelter, to seek safety and they genuinely want your support,” says Walton. “Their motivation to keep going, to keep bettering themselves, is truly remarkable.”

Two young Muslim sisters enjoy a close moment together on a sofa. They are embracing and laughing as they enjoy their moment together. Both are dressed casually and wearing Hijabs.
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Child asylum seekers are often unaccompanied and need support with hidden trauma. Photograph: FatCamera/Getty Images
In Oxfordshire, Linda Green leads a county council team dedicated to preventing people who are autistic or have learning disabilities from being unnecessarily admitted to hospital psychiatric wards under the Mental Health Act when crisis situations develop.

For people on the Dynamic Support Register, getting the right care and treatment in the community is crucial. But their cases are often complex, involving factors such as trauma, domestic violence, and the management of suicide risk.

Green’s team specialises in building meaningful relationships as well as knowing what support people are eligible for, and how to get it. “The social worker is at the heart of making things happen,” she says. “I’ve worked throughout my career with people who are marginalised, who experience discrimination and have diminished lives. We are able to change that for people.”

Level Chingalembe worked first in accounting, then trained as a social worker. Today, he’s the head of social care finance at Oxfordshire county council, where his insight into the challenges for people using adult social care is helping improve the way financial assessments for payments towards care are carried out, and how the council supports people who are struggling with money.