PAULINE was a pupil of mine and, even after 20 years, she, along with her parents and sister, still keeps in touch with me. At school she was positive, bright and caring, so it was no surprise when she joined the social work department.
Eventually I had the rare delight for a teacher of being able to work professionally alongside a former pupil when she moved to our nearest social work centre.
Now Pauline is a social worker no longer. When I heard that she had moved to another post, I presumed it was a secondment or sabbatical, but, bumping into her in the supermarket I learnt she had left social work completely, disillusioned at being unable to fulfil the expectations placed on her.
Unfortunately, her case is not unique. The radio news this May Day highlighted a general shortage of social workers in Scotland, an increased caseload for those that remain and the parallel problem of an increasingly overwhelmed children’s panel system. Those working in pupil support in our schools already knew this, of course.
When I became a guidance teacher in 1977, it was not unusual for it to take two weeks to get a return call from a social worker. Although there are still tensions and difficulties in some areas, by and large the various youth strategy initiatives have led to a far more effective method of collaborative working among the agencies concerned. New community schools and the Government’s prioritising of inclusion would seem to be further developments based on the need for such supports for the most disadvantaged.
However, those involved in this area will say that it is increasingly difficult to access the resources needed. It is often the case that pupils in their final year at school cannot be prioritised because of the pressures on the various agencies. Much good collaborative work done to assess the needs of troubled young people becomes lost in the log-jam created by a shortage of workers or facilities.
The vast majority of those who work in our schools want to provide an effective and professional service to the communities they serve, both academically and in terms of the social implications. It becomes increasingly dispiriting, however, when the will is there but the resources are not.
Fine words in political speeches may spark the vision, but the organisation and availability of resources is needed if the vision is to become reality. Otherwise, Pauline’s story will become more and more common among all the agencies that seek to support our young people in developing their potential.
