UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Saturday 20 March 2010

Child Protection Guidelines (the Latest) by Alistair Findlay

Lift up the phone, when the caller says ‘abuse’,
panic, over-react, run out the door shouting

hysterically, send two social workers also out
the door shouting hysterically, alert the police,

the zone paediatrician, ambulance service, fire-
brigade, health visitor, general practitioner,

midwife, Barnardo’s, Tesco’s, Dyno-Rod,
Visa, chief social work officer, child protection

register clerkess, her pal, the emergency duty
team, drug team, resources, criminal justice,

the Reporter to the Children’s Hearing,
the Children’s Hearing, the reviewing officer, the

area liaison coordinator’s assistant for updating
the Scottish Executive’s ongoing review of the

21st century social work’s back-covering interim
consultative report, but don’t, repeat don’t

notify the parents, or ask a child anything, unless,
of course, you are accompanied by a police officer.

From Dancing with Big Eunice: Missives from the Front Line of a Fractured Society by recently retired social worker Alistair Findlay,
About Alistair  http://www.booksfromscotland.com/Authors/Alistair-Findlay
The book http://www.luath.co.uk/acatalog/Dancing_With_Big_Eunice.html #
Review http://living.scotsman.com/features/For-retired-social-worker-Alistair.6122982.jp