UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Tuesday 15 September 2009

How does the Sun think campaign of hatred against social workers helps vulnerable children?

TUC: Motion 57: Child Protection Services and Media Coverage of Baby Peter. Damned if they do….. Chris Tansley, a childcare social worker of over 30 years experience, tells the TUC, “I’ve never encountered the level of hatred and attack that followed the Sun’s petition demanding the sacking of all those social workers involved in the tragic case of baby P”.

Chris,NEC Member and Chair of the Local Government Service Group Executive, told the TUC this morning that, as a childcare social worker of over 30 years experience, he has seen media attacks on social workers for failing to remove children at risk and attacks for being over zealous in removing children without enough evidence to justify it. “But I’ve never encountered the level of hatred and attack that followed the Sun’s petition demanding the sacking of all those social workers involved in the tragic case of baby P”, he said.

“What I want to ask the Sun is just how do they think that their campaign of hatred against social workers helped to protect those vulnerable children in our society. Those children that depend on the work that goes on every day of every week of every year by committed and hard working social workers”.

He concluded by applauding the great work that UNISON knows many social work colleagues do to protect and heal the most vulnerable children in our society.