WillisPalmer’s #Respect4SocialWork campaign is urging:

• A greater awareness of the life-changing work that social workers carry out on a daily basis.
• A better understanding of the social work profession.
• Greater protection for social workers who often work in hostile or dangerous situations.
• A celebration of the positive work that social workers do in both children’s and adult services.
• An end to insulting and outdated myths around social work and social work professionals.

Tim Loughton, former children’s services minister has given his endorsement to the campaign: “The role of Social Workers in our society is unfortunately widely underappreciated – I fully support #Respect4SocialWork Campaign in the hope that it will raise awareness and appreciation of the importance of Social Workers and to highlight the tremendous efforts they make and impact they have in helping to improve the lives of so many vulnerable children and families who rely on their support.”

#Respect4SocialWork is also endorsed by emeritus professor in social work Dr Ray Jones, assistant professor in social work Nushra Mansuri as well as BASW England.

If you would like to endorse the campaign, please email Clare Jerrom, Head of PR and Marketing at WillisPalmer at clare@willispalmer.com.

“BASW England supports this campaign as social workers are hard-working professionals doing an extremely difficult job who often go above and beyond the call of duty every day – and have especially done so during the pandemic. They have been on the frontline, at times putting their own lives on the line, yet do not receive the same recognition by government and in the media as our health and other emergency worker colleagues.”

“Furthermore, it is absolutely essential that we work to create decent working contexts for social workers where they can make the difference to people’s lives they want to make.”

BASW England

There are other ways you can get involved and support the social work profession:

• Join Our Pledge and become an official supporter
• Contact your local MP and tell them you support the campaign and so should they
• Share our articles on social media to create a more balanced coverage of the contribution that social workers make to communities and society as a whole.

All details can be found on #Respect4SocialWork campaign page.

Professor Ray Jones, who has 50 years experience in social work, said: “Any initiative or campaign that helps the public to understand the major contribution that social workers make to our communities, working alongside people in crisis and providing protection and enabling them to see a way forwards with their lives is vitally important,” said Professor Jones.

“It is important too for social workers themselves to have the opportunity to see recognition for the work they are trying to do and the contribution they are making. It is now 10 years that we have had austerity measures targeting poor families and children. We need this kind of energy to stand up and say families are becoming poorer, disabled and older people are becoming more vulnerable and social workers are less able to provide assistance – getting that message across is crucially important,” he added.

Assistant professor in social work Nushra Mansuri said: “I am a social worker who now lectures in social work to hopefully inspire the next generation of social workers.  I would like to endorse the #Respect4Social Work because I welcome making social work visible to the wider world to help people understand more clearly what it is social workers do and why we are so vital in making a difference in the lives of the children, families and communities we support on behalf of society.”

Find out more about the campaign here.

If you have any questions about the campaign, please don’t hesitate to contact Clare Jerrom, Head of PR and Marketing at WillisPalmer at clare@willispalmer.com