Community Care last week carried a piece reflecting the view of some social workers that their managers do not possess the skills to supervise and advise them. This links into comments in the Munro Final Report that ‘managerialism’ has taken hold within some children’s services. That, internal pressures to fulfil the managerial tasks of budgeting and allocation of resources, have come at the expense of inter-personal skills and staff support has been a casualty of that process.
This also links to other reported stories within the ‘caring services’ where bullying and harassment have become endemic within service. It is important to state that motivating and supporting staff is a major responsibility of management.
The development of professional expertise, an open learning culture and a consultative supportive approach is the way ahead. Social Work is created from and by human relationship. There is no other way.