York University is about to launch its first undergraduate social work degree. STEPHEN LEWIS meets a social worker prepared to defend his profession against its unfair image.

PETER Paton seems like a nice bloke. He has an earnest, well-meaning manner, tousled hair, glasses and wears a slightly unfashionable plaid shirt. He seems, in fact, decent, hard-working and competent.

Which is all a bit confusing. Because if you believed the national tabloid hysteria whipped up against people in Peter's profession, you would expect him to be a), an interfering busybody prying into other people's lives; or b), a lazy heartless incompetent whose inability to do his job results in the abuse and murder of helpless children.

Peter is a social worker. At the height of the media furore over the abuse and murder of Victoria Climbie - the little girl who was beaten, starved and kept tied in a bin bag by her great aunt and her great-aunt's boyfriend - you could have been forgiven for thinking it was members of Peter's profession who killed her.

Victoria had 128 injuries on her wasted body when she died. In the anguished debate that followed, much attention quite rightly focused on those professionals, social workers and police among them, who had failed to protect the little girl.

None of which can explain the levels of hostility many feel towards what is, after all, one of the caring professions.

When they are not being blamed for not interfering enough, social workers are being blamed for interfering too much.

The release of mothers Sally Clark and Angela Cannings - both cleared on appeal of murdering their children after evidence against them was discredited - proved just how difficult it is for professionals whose job is to protect children to get the balance right.

Andrew Hill, admissions tutor and lecturer in social work at York University, admits his profession has a negative image that bears little resemblance to the important job social workers do.

Partly it is because of the kind of work they do. Everybody makes mistakes occasionally, but if you are a child protection social worker, the consequences of those mistakes can be awful. When they do happen, they tend to provoke a media outcry and lots of finger-pointing.

"Because the nature of the work is very confidential, it is often difficult to counter misconceptions," he says.

Peter, a social care manager working with mainly elderly people in York, agrees that sometimes the way social workers are perceived is unfair. "Often people are not aware of what social workers do," he says. "I think we do provide a very important and valuable role, and that is not always understood."

Countering those misconceptions is vital, however. There is a national shortage of social workers, which is worrying. Social workers play an important role in helping some of the most vulnerable people in our society - and without them the lives of many young, elderly or disabled people would be much harder than they are.

Such is the extent of the problem that in October 2001 the Government launched a three-year campaign to encourage more people to consider a career in social work. The aim is to recruit an extra 5,000 people into the profession by next year.

As part of that drive, York University - which has previously taught only postgraduate courses in social work - is launching its first BA degree. The three-year undergraduate course aims to equip students with all the skills they need for one of the most demanding professions there is. The first students begin in October.

So what does the job involve?

Intervening in families where children are thought to be at risk of abuse is just one part of what social workers do. They also work with parents; in children's homes; manage adoption and foster care programmes; work with young people who are leaving care or who are in trouble with the law and help young people with problems at school or who are facing difficulties brought on by a parent being ill or disabled.

They work with people with learning and other disabilities, too; and with elderly people who need to access a range of services from home care to meals on wheels and respite care.

Without social workers, says Andrew Hill, many people would not get the services and support they need

Peter's job mainly involves visiting elderly people in their homes - or those about to be discharged from hospital - to assess their care needs.

It's not always easy, he says. Sometimes the last thing an elderly person wants when they are feeling ill or down is to have a stranger in their home asking personal questions. He or she could easily come across as pushy or interfering, one of the usual negative stereotypes.

Far from just wanting to send vulnerable people into a home - often their biggest fear - his job is more about trying to support them so they can continue to live independently.

"My role is often the opposite of what their worries are," he says. "I'm there to help them and support them as much as possible in their own environment."

On his first visit, he will sit down with his client - usually an elderly person who has been referred by a GP, the local hospital, or even a friend or neighbour worried about them - and make what he calls a "care assessment".

That will entail looking at everything from whether they can manage the shopping on their own to whether they can feed and clothe themselves. Sometimes he can also look at their finances, and see whether they need help. Often, he will bring a carer into the discussion to get their views. Throughout, the emphasis will be on trying to ensure that, where possible, they can continue living in their own home.

Together with other people involved in an elderly person's care - doctors, rehab specialists - he will draw up a package of care, covering everything from home help to meals on wheels and physiotherapy sessions. There may also be a need for respite care, to give a carer - often an elderly husband or wife - a break.

Sometimes, he may visit a client just once. Sometimes, he will go back a number of times, to monitor how they are getting on.

Does he form friendships with the elderly people he works with?

He tries to keep things light, informal and friendly, without letting his clients become dependent on him.

"Part of the job of the social worker is to be very clear about your role," he says. "You are not always going to be there so you don't want to create a dependency. That's the whole point of the service you're providing: to give people back control when they feel they are losing their independence."

He doesn't sound like an interfering busybody, in fact, he comes across as professional and caring. What made him want to be a social worker?

He hadn't planned it. He originally did an economics degree with social policy thrown in. As part of that, he did a placement in a home for people with learning disabilities. "And I loved it. I could see these people developing, becoming more independent."

It may be a clich, but social work really is about helping people. "There is a lot of job satisfaction in that."

Plus plenty of challenges.

Sometimes, he encounters people whose situations are so difficult, so heart-rending, that it is impossible not to take the pain home with him. But there are other times when there is nothing more rewarding than what he does.

"There are some great times, some wonderful times, when you see what is possible."

To find out more about careers in social work, visit the Department of Health's www.socialworkcareers.co.uk website, or call the helpline on 0845 604 6404.

Updated: 09:18 Tuesday, August 17, 2004