Michael Gove bravely stands up for social workers – the lepers of public service

[Alison J Stevens]

Michael Gove bravely stands up for social workers – the lepers of public service

By Daniel Knowles Society Last updated: February 23rd, 2012

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Social work and adoption: forgotten, but important

It’s a strange political day. David Cameron is speaking about how wonderful capitalism is (bit of an about-turn, that), William Hague has been talking about Syria and a Labour MP, Eric Joyce, has been arrested over an alleged assault of a Tory MP in Strangers’ bar last night. So a fairly unheralded speech by Michael Gove, the education secretary, is not likely to get much attention.

That’s a shame, because what Mr Gove is saying this morning is easily today’s most interesting speech. He’s talking about social workers, children in care, and adoption. Citing the BBC’s brilliant documentary series, Protecting Our Children, which followed social workers in Bristol in their work, Gove speaks up for the profession. It’s worth quoting extensively – here’s what he says:

We ask social workers to operate in conditions most of us know nothing about; to engage with people in desperate need; to make extremely finely balanced ethical and practical judgements; to retain the trust of adults while thinking always of the best interests of children; to navigate bureaucracy and cope with heavy workloads. All the while knowing that if a mistake does occur then their career, indeed their professional status, may be ruined for ever.

And on children being taken into care:

Children and young people do not encounter disadvantage because they have been in care. They are in care because they have had to be rescued from disadvantage… Understandably, social workers do everything they can to keep families together. And, understandably, they fear being branded child-snatchers, do-gooders or anti-family if they initiate care proceedings. But it is far better if social workers follow their instincts to intervene and rescue rather than acquiesce in abusive or neglectful parenting in the hope things will improve.

As Gove argues, the real problem is not that children are taken into care too frequently – it is that they are taken into care too late, and then left there. As he notes, though children in care rarely do well, the problem is mostly not with the care system – rather, the relationship goes the other way around: “children and young people do not encounter disadvantage because they have been in care. They are in care because they have had to be rescued from disadvantage.”

In his speech, Gove, who was adopted at just four months old himself, says that this conversation “has been dominated for far too long by caricature, finger-pointing, recrimination and misjudgement”. Social workers are demonised, misunderstood and widely hated, often by people who have nothing to do with them. For a Cabinet minister to defend them is brave, necessary and welcome.