‘Hitting was all he knew’: a social worker speaks out

“If you don’t hit me, I won’t know when to stop”: The words of a boy in care to his social worker when she refused to hit him.

“Hitting was all he knew,” Rachael says. “I told him I would never hit him but he would know things were serious if I raised my voice.”

Rachael (not her real name) has worked for more than 15 years in children’s residential services and is now a senior residential social care manager with a voluntary residential service. She has experienced kicks and punches, seen colleagues having their hair pulled out, cups and plates and cutlery thrown at staff, and a boiling kettle used as a threat.

She has witnessed a lot of violent behaviour but never seen a knife or other weapon used against a staff member. Now she fears social care workers in children’s residential centres face more violence from the children than ever before.

Violence has risen in the last five or six years, it used to be “a push or shove” but was reactive, not personalised and happened because, for example, of upset because a mother did not visit. Now it is “more demanding”; staff are held responsible when families do not visit or when the children don’t have money to buy the latest trainers.

Drug addiction is a “huge factor”, children are combining drink and drugs and in some cases abusing many drugs.

“These are children who were very vulnerable to all sorts of influences when on the streets but because all the drink and drugs in the world won’t mask their pain, they kick out and scream out even at those trying to help them.”

Another factor contributing to increased violence is a mounting reluctance of social workers to place children in care with the result children are left at home longer when earlier intervention may prove positive for some.

“Some children just can’t cope with their families. When they finally arrive in the system, they look for the violent responses they are used to.”

The violence and stress of the job inflict a huge personal toll.

“I’m lucky, our organisation looks after staff. If there’s an incident, it arranges for staff to see a psychotherapist. There are many who don’t and staff are just told it’s part of the job, you’re dealing with emotionally disturbed kids, what do you expect.”

Some of those involved in making policy are imposing demands too far removed from the reality of the services, she believes. The work can also be “very disheartening” with little reward.

There is a considerable drain on the services due to workers leaving and the nature of the work impacts on workers’ families with husbands wondering why their wives are”going to work to be abused” and children wondering why their mother is crying and has a bruise on her face.

Pregnant female staff are at “huge risk” and their protection is often left in some organisations to their colleagues, rather than their employers. There are some rewards, Rachael stresses.

“When children who were extremely violent come back to you a few years later doing well and they apologise and ask how did you stick me. That’s what keeps me here.”

She has several ideas about how matters can be improved. There has to be a “proper and real continuation of care” with a variety of services for the children, including for those “who think it’s okay to hit people because they have lived with violence all their lives”.

Policy makers must also ensure social workers are properly qualified and trained, including to depersonalise violence.

“It’s not enough to love kids, you have to have resilience and understanding of what’s involved.”

Particular concerns are inadequate resources and that voluntary organisations cannot participate in the training being offered by the statutory services.

There must also be addiction services for children under 18 with problematic drug use. Some children have mental health issues but the numbers of psychologists and therapists are inadequate and children can be on waiting lists for months.

Organisations frequently won’t take children unless they are “stable” when, she says, the whole point is to have the organisation help them achieve stability.

Her overall view is the services are “not fit for purpose” with a pressing need for more staff, resources, addiction services, better training, proper supervision of social care workers and leadership.

What is particularly vital is a culture of openness and support, she says. “We have endless inspections and reports but are never told how things might be improved. Instead we’re told staff didn’t put the correct time on a form after they brought a child back at 4am.

Everything has to be filled in in triplicate but it goes nowhere.” While “awful” things did happen in residential care, what is necessary is to help people find solutions to problems.

“It should not be about catching people out, it should be about helping people out.”