Helga Pile, Unison's national officer for social care and a member ofthe Social Work Taskforce, told CYP Now that a "climate of fear" ispreventing social workers from expressing concerns about services intheir area.
She said: "There is a gagging order placed on social workers becausepeople don't want the media spotlight on the service. But there is aneed for them to speak out for better public understanding of what theydo."
The claims come as Hilton Dawson, chief executive of the BritishAssociation of Social Workers (BASW), voiced his disappointment at thetaskforce's failure to engage with the organisation in its earlywork.
He said: "The taskforce is very important, but up until recently BASWhas been peripheral, with an inner circle of civil servants and quangosmaking decisions."
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