Social work staff debate their issues

MORE than 100 people turned out for a debate on social work issues facing the Capital.

The event, "Going Backwards, Treading Water or Moving Forwards?: Social Work After Changing Lives" was on Wednesday.

Organised by the Edinburgh Local Practitioners' Forum (ELPF), which represents frontline social workers, it was open to social services practitioners in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

David Orr, co-chairman of the ELPF, said: "The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the forum and let social workers know there is an arena in which they can openly discuss and contribute to the decision-making process at a local and national level.

"Topics included the public perceptions of social work and its media portrayal, frontline working conditions, the role of trade unions and improving dialogue between social work practitioners and managers."

A Question Time-style debate included Tiffany Jenkins (journalist and commentator), Michelle Miller (chief social work officer with the city council) and John Stevenson (from Unison).