'˜More male social workers needed'

View from the roof of Fairfax House, with thanks to the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust. Looking across to the Bucks County Council (BCC) tower PNL-140314-172523001

Bucks County Council’s children’s services overview and scrutiny committee has recommended that work be done to attract more men into the profession.

Speaking at the committee’s meeting last week, chair Val Letheren said that during their research the group had spoken to a young  man, who said that he would have benefitted from  having a male social worker, and that he felt it would have improved his experience of the social services system.

She said: “Efforts should be made to have more men represented in the social work field.

“There is an under-representation in the workforce.”

And committee member Robin Stuchbury added his own view to the debate.

He said: “We wouldn’t want a situation where the job becomes only for a particular person though.

“We need to make sure that it is as attractive as possible for young men to go into this  profession as it is for young ladies.

“We need to make sure that we encourage men to come into it as well.”

In 2014, according to General Social Care Council (GSCC) figures, over 75% of qualified social workers in England were female.

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