Taking The Career By The Balls - How Mr Ed Plans A Quick Fix Mix

It has been a week of quietening within the public sector. Since the world of the media has been so overcome with swine flu, it has allowed certain figures and departments to take a wise holiday from the front pages, namely Gordon Brown, Katie Price and oh yes, the public sector, and social services in particular.

Well, it's been a while since discs and laptops have gone for a Burton from the back seats of cars, and not much has disappeared from a train, only don't get on a bus if you're carrying sensitive medical records, there is a distinct panic, although I can't help but think why? What would a terrorist do with some old dear's medication history? Panic too much? Surely it is rather like the ID syndrome - if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear. I could be wrong....

However, through my wonderful Community Care email supplier, I am bound to stumble across a nugget or five in the news column. Today, it is the turn of Mr Ed Balls and his new and improved clean up campaign by giving professionals struggling to fine new employment a chance to become social workers - as if they really wanted to - rather like those adverts you see in the freebie newspapers about becoming a driving instructor....

As posted in the Community Care.co.uk subscription:

"Social care expert Ray Jones has dismissed the government's plan to fund other professionals to retrain as social workers as a "quick fix" and a "cheap option" that will not solve the profession's recruitment problems.

Jones, a former social services director and British Association of Social Workers' chair, said lawyers, teachers or others on the scheme, announced yesterday by children' secretary Ed Balls, would not be ready to practice after the 12-18 months of training it will provide..."

The rest of the article goes on to say how Mr Balls is intending to cut the training back at an alarming rate thus to ensure that these newly registered SW's are ready for work - only in the literal sense, rather than the academic...

So what do we make of this quick fix scheme then? Is it enough for our community of abused adults, battered children and mental health patients living amongst us to have a whole line of partially prepared social angels? Will these fast buck employees really be able to make a difference? Surely we would hope that people who chose to embark on a profession in the social car system goes into it for the love of working with people and helping the vulnerable, and I have know plenty of good, faithful and loyal social workers - and trust me, no one ever goes into the job for the money - there is none...

(The original article can be found here:)http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2009/07/10/112061/ed-balls-career-change-scheme-criticised-as-a-quick-fix.html

"The professor of social work at Kingston University is one of a number of academics to back making graduates carry out a probationary year in practice before being able to register as social workers, effectively extending the mandatory training period for social work to four years.
Training period too short
He said: "At a time when people are arguing that social work needs a longer training period [Ed Balls is proposing a shorter period]."
Commenting on the £15,000-a-year salary that trainees under the scheme will be offered, Jones said: "What we are being offered is a quick route to becoming a social worker for people who have chosen other professions, with a financial incentive that is not available to people who have chosen social work from the start."

I let you be the judge but personally I would think that the best policy here is to simply go back to basics and allow people to come into the profession who have that desire to help people - not just wave the illusion of it in front of the faces of people trying to find work - of any kind.

We have a dilemma on our hands when it comes to the social system and somehow, I feel this is not the way forward.....

Until the next time

Michelle Duffy 2009