My PC sent the first part before I had finished writing it !!! weird.

This is what I would do :

1. Put SOCIAL WORKERS under the control of the Health Authorities.

2. By doing so you remove them from Political interference and you take them away from the Police who are always meddling in Social Work.

3. They would become Medical Professionals - thus at the stroke of a pen changing the perception of their status. It would instantly become an attractive proposition to those wanting to help people. In addition the Public would be less suspicious knowing the Local Council and Police were not looming over their shoulders all the time.

4. By becoming Medical Professionals they would no longer need to carry out the FORM FILLING which is so loved by Councils and the Police. They would be released to make Professional judgements. These judgements would be based on facts rather than hearsay as they are at present. They would work more closely with clinical teams - thus abuse and neglect would be integrated into this new approach.

5. The health records of a patient are confidential. Which would mean Social Workers would receive a fairer and more open dialogue with their "Patients" rather than be seen as "state warriors"

Of course New Labour uses the Police and Social Workers as their PC Task Force ( allied to Teachers where possible ) in order to indoctrinate the publice. Something that the public are sick of.

Much of social work is about health related issues - especially mental health and childcare. Therefore it would make sense to train Social Workers as Social Health Care Professionals. Creating a new and more respected profession with new qualifications where they could be educated ON THE JOB as nurses and doctors are.

This would provide THREE excellent routes into caring professions. With an aging population we need more Social Workers - and this would be a way of integrating them into the "caring" professions - rather than with the "Police State" professions.

I find it hard to believe that Social Workers have not asked to be set free from their Political Masters before and end up under local health trust and authority control.

If our Politcal Parties cared at all about the Public I am sure that at least one of them should be suggesting this seismic shift away from the Nanny State and towards better care for the vulnerable in society.

Until it is changed the current system will continue to fail. It is beyond repair because it is a systematic failure.

BR, you do realise what you propose is too sensible and will never happen?

I've had a few social workers the past few years and could tell you quite a few horror stories, mostly involving management and positions above that squandering and wasting money (and we are talking MILLIONS here) to disgraceful effect... and of course, it's the customers that get the bums rush and the workers likewise. One of my friends is a social worker and he has told me many things in strict confidence that is truly horrifying and for a long time now he's been seeking employment elsewhere because of the corruption, bullying and ever changing rules. In 2007, I had 6 different workers in rapid succession in the space of just 8 months... this was ridiculous. No sooner did I start getting used to them, they'd be whisked away and replaced with someone who was definitely inferior. All that had a bad effect - it made me all the more insecure and various issues were ignored. The final worker I got in that organisation was a real bitch... she talked over everything I said and did absolutely nothing for me whatsoever.

Interestingly EVERY single worker I had all had the same complaint - paperwork. They were forever bogged down in it and grumbled that if the paperwork was halved, they could be helping 2 or 3 other people.

Last agency I was with were great but they threw me off their books because I wasn't "giving them enough to do". Where they came in handy for me was the moral support. I desperately needed that. My social worker was almost in tears as she informed me they were NOT there to give "moral support" because she knew what she was doing for me was beneficial. She knew she was a huge help to me by our regular meetings, but that didn't look good on paper and because there wasn't much paperwork, it was ordered that I be given the boot.

That happened last December. Since then, my life has become a complete and utter mess. I need that help, but the type of help I need will not be given to me and I am expected to blunder and muddle my way through life... and it is proving increasingly difficult.

Sorry to hear that. But having worked "alongside" social services in the past I am not suprised. The whole system is broken.

We fail those who need help the most in the UK. We pour money into Social Work - yet the people who are suffering and need the help never get the benefit of this.

It should not be this way. Hopefully the more of us who speak out may change things - but it does look bleak at the moment.

Life is tough. Every single one of us needs some support at some time in our life. We all pay taxes so that we can get that support if we ever require it or we hope other people can get that support. It is awful that this is not the case at the moment.