Replacing Social Workers with unqualified “Social Care Burger Flippers” is a theme that’s been mentioned on Wirral Leaks more than once and today’s Daily Mirror article reflects (sic) the views of the ex-WBC employee who recently wrote to his MP Frank Field relating his concerns about Social Care – HERE.
When the Unions say there aren’t enough social workers it should be noted that reducing qualified experienced Social Workers and replacing them with “Support Officers” was a deliberate policy and one which the trade unions ( on the Wirral) seemed more than happy to embrace. So it’s a little hypocritical to feign surprise at the mess social work departments are now in as they do this article.
“Support staff and assistants are being used as social workers “on the cheap” as local authorities struggle to cope with budget cuts, a union has claimed.
Unison said research among more than 350 staff across the UK showed that the boundaries between the work of professional social workers and support staff were “blurring into non-existence”.
Two thirds of the social work assistants and support staff surveyed said they were regularly given work with vulnerable children and adults they did not feel qualified to carry out.
Many said they worked alone on complex cases, often feeling out of their depth, with more than two out of three dealing with an increasing number of cases.
Three out of four worked extra hours, while two thirds earned less than £21,000. Half of those polled had suffered verbal attacks and one in four had received threats.
Helga Pile, Unison’s national officer for social care, said: “Our survey shows that social work assistants and support workers are seriously struggling to cope with the pressures being piled on them, as demand continues to grow, while resources are drastically cut.
“Staff are very concerned about vulnerable children and adults who rely on the services. There aren’t enough social workers, so they are under growing pressure to step into the breach and carry out work they may be unqualified to do. They end up suffering from excessive bureaucracy, stress and burn-out – just like social workers.
“Support workers and social work assistants have a vital role to play but are often used as cheap labour for social workers. Those who wish to become social workers need continuing support to qualify, yet this cost-effective way of ‘growing your own’ social workers is being cut.
“We need proper safeguards in the system to protect assistants and support workers, social workers – and the people who rely on these vital services.”
One of the staff surveyed said the number of cases she had to deal with in a week had increased from 30 to 54, adding: “We are all leaving because they (managers) totally take advantage.”
Wirral Leaks has been given the document below which would appear to confirm that within Wirral Social Services unqualified Assistant Support Officers present more complex cases (in terms of volume) to panel ( decision making meeting) than Social Workers. Not sure we’d be happy if an unqualified admin clerk was advocating on behalf of our parents as whether they should have high level care package/res care etc. Call us old fashioned but we’d want somebody who had experience and qualifications.
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/2011/10/06/union-social-work-staff-exploited-115875-23470366/#ixzz1ZzDJ21V5
Wirralleaks 
2015 and their still at it, they have tried their upmost to destroy our family and pilfer our finances, but they didn’t count on me having a little grey matter and a whole lot of determination, I am now coupling this with knowledge. its now 2017 and I am now almost at the point where I should be able with a little help from anyone who is willing? to expose these scoundrels once again. Also The NHS, DWP, ICE, the GP and Merseyside Police. That could include you Fields if it turns out you to are involved in the conspiracy, we haven’t really started off on the right foot have we? I’ve already had an apology.