Dawe says respect the social workers

Published on Monday 27 April 2009 09:55

CITY leader Jenny Dawe has paid tribute to city social workers.

In her monthly leader's report, Councillor Dawe said: "Child protection is an area where finely balanced decisions require to be taken and where, sadly, there is sometimes no margin for error.

"Social workers on the front line have to deal with difficult circumstances and take agonising decisions on a daily basis.

"Social workers perform an admirable role in protecting the most vulnerable in our society. They are, however, a profession which can be subject to castigation and vilification on a completely different scale to most other roles in life.

"It is too simplistic to round on social workers when issues arise. Where crimes are committed, the culpability and guilt lie with the person who perpetrated the crime, and not with the social work department or the police.

"As a society we need to take some responsibility for the scourge of drugs and alcohol and the underlying problems that create danger to our children in the first place.

"Glasgow University has estimated that between 40,000 and 50,000 children in Scotland live with at least one drug-addicted parent. This figure puts into context the extent of the challenge in protecting children."