RETIRED social workers are being urged to return to the profession to protect children at risk from abuse or neglect.
Council leaders will today launch the first national campaign to recruit child social workers, as there are fears the current shortage will leave more children at risk.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said it fears high-profile cases like the death of Baby P will reduce respect for child social workers, prompting a wave of departures from the profession and adding to the difficulty in attracting new candidates.
This could lead to a greater chance of child abuse being missed, a spokesman said.
The LGA’s new report, Respect and Protect, which was published today, said: “Historical evidence shows that, as respect for child social workers declines, people who were looking at child protection as their chosen career think again.”
