Social Work England enlists author to help tell the real story of social work

Social Work England, the regulator for the social work profession in England, has joined forces with award-winning author, Beth Moran, for a film that aims to challenge negative narratives about social work and tell the real story of the positive impact made by the profession on the lives of millions of people, every day. 

Beth will visit social workers and people with lived experience of social work during Social Work Week (17 to 21 March), capturing their experiences. She will also share her family’s own story of social work, having been a foster carer for five years.

The film is part of Social Work England’s ‘Change the Script’ campaign, which launched during last year’s Social Work Week with a call for the entertainment industry to more accurately represent social workers in TV and film. Building on the positive impact last year, the campaign will go further by encouraging anyone who may talk or write about social work to do so in a way that reflects social workers’ important roles and the positive differences they make.

The campaign aims to tackle negative perceptions of social work. Research by Social Work England found that only 44% of people think social work is respected in society, which is far behind the levels felt for other vital professions such as doctors (90%), nurses (86%) and pharmacists (85%). These negative views can lead to recruitment challenges and make it harder for social workers to do their jobs.

In addition to the film, Social Work England plans to launch a reframing guide later this Spring, a resource that outlines language, practical techniques and principals to adopt when talking about the social work profession. It is being developed with the sector and will aim to change the way the nation talks and writes about social work, dispelling common myths and inaccuracies.

Beth Moran said:

“I’m proud to be a part of the Change the Script campaign. Having been a foster carer for a number of years, I have experienced first-hand the powerful impact social workers can have on people’s lives. It’s important that we tell these positive stories to boost respect for social workers and recognise the important role they play in our society.”

One of the film participants, Clair is care experienced herself and has been working as a social worker for over 20 years. She says of the profession:

"Social workers empower those who cannot speak for themselves, advocate for the vulnerable, persist when others give up, and find opportunities where none seem to exist. We give hope to those who may not have any. This is the world of social work!"

The film will launch later this Spring as part of a wider burst of activity for ‘Change the Script’, aiming to transform how social work is represented in society. 

Social Work England’s Chief Executive, Colum Conway, said:

“Not only are social workers committed to supporting people to improve their life chances, they are highly trained professionals who must meet specific standards to be able to legally use the title and practise as a social worker. This isn’t always reflected in how people talk about social work and we want to change that - demonstrating social workers’ skills, knowledge and compassion to increase public recognition for social work and boost morale in the profession.”