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Child protection is tough. Those doing it need care, too
Caseloads are rising and social workers face burnout at a time when there aren’t enough of them.
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Caseloads are rising and social workers involved in child protection face burnouts at a time when there aren’t enough of them.
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
Katherine Baptist
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I studied social work because I wanted a job that would make a difference. Yet the first lesson drilled into young undergraduates by our professors was that social work is not just about having a heart; it also requires a clear head. It isn’t volunteering or for those with bleeding hearts; it is professional work that demands judgment, skill and courage.
That advice has guided me over the years I spent in practice. Like many social workers in the field, what we learn in the classroom can never really prepare us for when we hit the ground, and in the 30 years I learnt new things. Mostly, resilience through difficult encounters and demanding cases.
