Why are social workers excluded from new bill to protect emergency staff? | Ruth Allen

The profession works in risky, sometimes dangerous situations yet is treated differently to other emergency service colleagues

Social workers prioritise people who are most marginalised, desperate and often unhelped, overlooked and angry; as a consequence, we work often in risky, sometimes dangerous situations. Yet we are treated differently to other emergency service colleagues. Why?

In 2013 I wrote a piece describing social work as the forgotten emergency service. Six years on, judging by a bill moving through the House of Lords, it seems this is still the case. The assaults on emergency workers (offence) bill proposes a new offence in England and Wales of assaulting an emergency worker and looks to impose stiffer sentences for offenders.

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2JTygfH