This Book chronicles the week in the life of a busy Social Worker in Children's Services and is, first and foremost, a story. The book is humorous at times, and 'shocking,' it's also an informative Book that will help those considering a career in Social Work. It will proper dispel preconceived ideas and assumptions about the job. It's an honest and gritty, a Book about a Social Worker in Safeguarding, and I wager, it'll tug on your heartstrings and emotions.
The Social Worker is called Andy McBride, and he will talk about his 'experiences,' the pressures he faces, and how he got into this amazing job. You'll read about some terrible and uplifting stories that Social Workers encounter daily. You'll learn about the circumstances of many children throughout this Book, their parents and other professionals and the roles each has to play in Safeguarding children.
But all is not what it seems; there are more twists than a New York pretzel, so do watch out for them, 'breadcrumbs,' as we build up to a tense, blockbuster ending. Be warned!
The story is set in Liverpool, but it could be set in any part of the U.K. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely unintentional. And whilst the author draws on his experiences, the characters are entirely fictitious, invented and dramatised to keep you, the reader, utterly hooked – a true page-turner.
The author's style of writing is unique. Andy will take centre stage in an imaginary but grand auditorium erected in his mind. Picture the ornate Liverpool Empire, filled to the rafters with paying punters, that's you by the way, the reader, with Andy on the stage. You're his inner monologue, his thoughts, and Mr G is in the Stalls, who is both the author and Andy, will offer his advice from time to time.
Andy will go about his business as we ramble through the week, a classic fly-on-the-wall story. He will chat with you, he will refer to you as 'folks,' and he will not gloss over the key issues. Andy will engage in office banter, you'll meet his colleagues, his team, and his manager, and you'll hear him take calls and respond to text messages. You'll attend visits and meetings with Andy, and you'll see that each Chapter has a date and time stamp, all the events happen in real time. See, very unique!
You'll read about the challenges Social Workers face, you'll gain a greater understanding of children at risk of criminal and sexual exploitation, gangs, and the people who run the county lines. But who are the Munro's, my first breadcrumb.
You'll learn about children living at home at risk of harm, children in foster and residential care, and you'll discover that this Book is very topical, given recent events and the National Inquiry into Children at risk of exploitation.
You'll get the whole 'nine yards' when it comes to a typical week in the life of a busy Social Worker. A no-holds-barred account; you'll fully understand the ebb and flow of emotions Social Workers go through, the pressures they face, and the various risks they have to manage.
So what's with the title of the Book? Social Work: 'Damned if you, Damned if you Don't.' The media will blame Social Workers when things go wrong, but the issue is not always about individual incompetence and poor practice, but a broken system and a deep lack of resources. Social Workers are sometimes accused of being overzealous, but if a child dies, if the Social Worker didn't remove a child, then the knives come out. Armchair bloggers will scream at the television in disgust and trolls will post damaging comments over social media from behind the anonymity of their keyboards. 'What happened to the Social Workers? Why didn't someone do something?'
This book will underscore the many challenges Social Workers face, but it'll will offer some solutions under the Epilogue Chapter at the end, but no peeking!
