The national shortage of qualified social workers continues, scared off by being under fire in the media when a case ends in tragedy, hence the Baby P and Brandon Muir cases, social workers are finding quieter areas to work where they are not as exposed.

With children’s social work all over the news, it is harder than ever to recruit social workers for this specialised area. In total there are 1.2 million social workers in the UK but another 13,000 social workers are needed urgently; the demand is higher than ever for people that are willing to take on this challenging but rewarding job.

Despite the bad press in recent years, children’s social work is a fulfilling career, making a difference in a child life is priceless.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect about social work is that every day is different, social workers face different challenges day in and day out, the unpredictability of this field and not knowing what social workers may face in the day ahead can be an exciting task.

If you ask any qualified social worker working in child protection what is the highest point of their career, I can guarantee 100% will say being able to see a child’s life change for the better before their eyes.

Little things like a child telling you they feel safe and happy, their confidence and self esteem is growing and feeling they are important enough for someone to care about them is extremely rewarding, no money in the world can buy this feeling of accomplishment from knowing you made a difference in a child’s life.

If you are a qualified social worker who has worked in the child protection area before, please consider working in the area again – there are thousands of children in need of your assistance. For more information contact Restart Resources.