Social work is going through a crisis caused by confusion about the values and role of social workers. Increasing professionalisation is not the answer. What is needed is a more radical approach which reconsiders the notion of professionalism and challenges the prevailing culture of managerialism. This collection of articles seeks to bring a libertarian perspective to contemporary social issues and social work practice.
My aim is to re-assert the fundamentals of good practice and to consider better ways of managing local authority services. The social work identity will inevitably have to adapt to the new reality of tight budgets. The profession engages in debate about the appropriate use of authority in organisations with a risk-averse culture and this means that contributions from reflective practitioners are now more important than ever.
The way forward involves a re-examination of the function of state social work for society. Fundamental questions concerning the philosophical and political basis for social work activity need to be re-considered. It is essential that, while authorities with finite resources have to make difficult decisions about priorities, the essential social work values of humanity, compassion and respect for the uniqueness of the individual never get lost.
POPULAR ARTICLES
Is There A Cover-up in Wales?
Thoughts on the Child Protection System
The Flawed Safeguarding Approach
Are We Protecting Children From Significant Harm?
Sara Sharif - An Unloved Child
Child Protection Failures in Pembrokeshire - the Solution
Are Social Workers Trained for Child Protection Work?
Another Drakeford Disaster: Failures in Child Protection
Child Protection: Sexual Rights over 16
Alfie Steele Let Down: Poor Legal Knowledge to Blame
The Prevention of Baby Battering
The Art of Safeguarding Children
The Plight of a Depressed Teenager in Care
Sex Education Identity Crisis
The Case for a Specialist Child Protection Team
Child Protection on Trial in Wales
Are Families Getting Worse?
A New Framework for Child Protection
Thinking about Section 47
The Ethics of Child Protection
Has the Tavi Lost its Way? The Gender Identity Debate
How Did Judges Become Experts in Child Welfare?
Rebuilding Children's Services
A Commonsense Approach to Child Protection
Approved Child and Family Practitioner Status
Social Work Practice: Section 47
Child Protection and Social Work: Integration or Separation?
Domestic Violence: Social Work Intervention
Child Protection Social Work and the Law
Child Protection Theory and Practice
Fifty Years of Social Work
Legal Wrangle Forgets Child
Children Who Witness Domestic Violence
The Shallowness of Children's Services
Maladjusted Teenagers
What is Significant Harm? a simple guide for social workers
Social Work and Child Neglect
Protecting Children - Getting the Balance Right
Kiri: Totally Unbelievable
Misuse of Section 20
The Social Work Role in Care Proceedings
MORE ARTICLES
Practical Tips
Social Work Failures and My Response
Archive of Some Earlier Articles
LINKS
You can contact the author at @HilarySearing on X.
Last updated 24 March 2026. Handmade in Wales. © Copyright Hilary Searing 2000-26.