'We are at the sharp end of pain and sorrow. We are involved with moving children from their homes.”

Patrick Wilkings pulls no punches when he describes why children’s social workers have such a negative image in the eyes of the public.

“We act within the law and need court orders, but as parents go through the massive stress and trauma of losing their children, we become a target.”

Success stories – of which there are many – seldom make it into the public domain. “When a child is taken away, they may end up settled and secure in an adoptive placement. They may even return home, but this passes people by. The flashpoint is the removal of children.”

A social work team manager in the Bradford district, Patrick knows only too well the challenges and complexities of a job that is often misunderstood. He is keen to help improve public understanding of the vital role played by children’s social workers and to highlight their positive work with some of the most vulnerable families.

He is supporting the Yorkshire and Humber Social Work Matters campaign launched across by region’s 15 local authorities to tackle negative perceptions about the job and boost recruitment.

The two-year campaign was launched six months ago following record numbers of children’s social work cases across the country. More than 74,000 in Yorkshire and Humber alone received vital help and support last year.

Patrick manages a six-strong Keighley-based team who deal with hundreds of calls every year from concerned schools, police, health visitors, relatives or neighbours who have worries about children. Each social worker has around 18 children – who may have been injured, abandoned, abused or neglected – to assess at any one time.

“One of the strengths of the management in Bradford has been creating a working environment where caseloads have not gone to the ceiling,” he says.

This has been achievable thanks to the involvement of partners including West Yorkshire Police, health visitors and education social workers. They share information, allowing cases to be prioritised and assessed accurately as to what action may be required.

“This means that we have swift access to a broader range of information giving a more accurate picture of where our help is needed,” says group service manager in Bradford Melanie John-Ross.

“It allows us to target resources more effectively so that only the most appropriate cases are taken forward for further assessment or intervention.”

These practices have been in place for a year and already Bradford is reporting a reduction in referral and re-referral rates. There has also been a fall in the number of children progressing to full child protection assessments, and fewer families are undergoing unnecessary investigations.

High-profile cases can add to the negative image surrounding children’s social workers. Says Patrick: “Some newspapers have a desire to present information in a far more florid way without any sort of discussion about the complexities.”

Lessons on the need to break down barriers were learned following the Baby P and Victoria Climbie cases, he adds.

“The idea is that when reports come to us, we involve all agencies – we talk to each other.”

Teams operate from bases in Bradford and Keighley, which makes information retrieval easy.

“When I first came in 1986, there were 15 areas. Now the system is much better in terms of information storage and access to it,” says Patrick.

“Our primary duty is to work with families to keep children at home. There are times when this is not possible, and sometimes it is necessary for us to go to court involving much effort and cost to make things work.”

Last year, an Ofsted report concluded that Bradford Council’s children’s services were “good” with “outstanding partnership working”, and stated that “the extent to which children and young people are safe and feel safe is good.”

As well as the website and media coverage, the campaign encourages councils to share best practice and to work together to improve conditions for existing staff, including leadership skills, training and support for newly qualified graduates.

It has seen a rise in job enquiries, with more than 200 CVs submitted.

A new website acts as a valuable information source for those thinking about a career within the sector.

Alison O’Sullivan, director for children and young people’s services at Kirklees Council, who is leading the campaign, says: “Children’s social workers make a real and lasting difference for some of our most vulnerable families and young people. This campaign gives them a chance to explain in their own words about the valuable work they do.”

For more details, visit childrenssocialworkmatters.org.