NOT DOOMED YET-CAMPAIGN FOR SOCIAL WORK

That this House welcomes Not Doomed Yet - the campaign for social work, instigated by the British Association of Social Workers in response to a suggestion by the BBC PM presenter Eddie Mair that children who need to be protected by social workers may be doomed because of pressures on costs; recognises the critical role of social work in protecting, supporting and empowering children and adults made vulnerable by disability, old age, ill health and personal circumstances; acknowledges research which demonstrates a reduction in child deaths over 32 years through effective social work practice; and urges the Government to give priority to investing in social work, even at a time of public expenditure cuts, so that no-one in the UK can ever be written off as doomed.