Social workers must be prepared

The findings from a General Social Care Council (GSCC) poll reinforce concerns raised by Lord Laming and the Social Work Taskforce, which highlighted that too many newly qualified social workers simply aren't adequately prepared by the time they enter the workplace.

According to the GSCC poll, the area where newly qualified staff fall down most is in assessing risk. Too many new recruits simply don't know how to spot the warning signs of abuse or potentially dangerous situations.

Identifying instances where children are at risk might sound a like fairly basic task, but it requires social workers to see through the smoke and mirrors that abusing families put in place and have the confidence to trust their own judgment when they suspect, but can't prove, that something is wrong. Such skills take time to develop and can't merely be learned within a classroom. It requires universities and social care employers coming together to offer trainees placement opportunities where students work directly with children and families. This will give them the practical as well as theoretical training social workers desperately need.