Two years on from the death of baby Peter in Haringey, north London, and amid fears the case has deterred people from joining the profession, the Government has launched a television advertising campaign to recruit new staff into social services and retain existing employees.
Rapper Goldie, actors Michelle Ryan, Nicolas Holt and Joanna Page, as well as fashionista Sadie Frost will front the advertising campaign.
Entitled ‘Help Give Them a Voice', the advertisements show how social workers change the lives of thousands of children and adults every day, by giving a voice to the most vulnerable in society.
Ed Balls (pictured), secretary of state for children, schools and families, said: "Thousands of children and families desperately need the help and support social workers give in difficult and sometimes dangerous situations. It is a job that makes a difference in ways that most of us can only begin to imagine. It's a job that can save and transform lives."
He added: "Yet the success stories of the nation's social workers are rarely heard and research shows that many people don't even know what social workers really do. This hard-hitting campaign will mean a big step towards raising the profile of their work and showing what social workers deal with every day.
"I want social workers to be a high quality, self-confident profession, with the support and esteem of the public. Social workers around the country have already told us we need to improve the technology they use. They need better training and support - especially for newly-qualified graduates."
