unicornnews: PRs maintain social work momentum

One of the PR companies involved in the government’s social worker recruitment initiative has spoken to PR Week about the project.

Several agencies are involved in the media relations component of the government initiative to encourage more people to consider a career in social work. The initiative follows a difficult period for the social worker profession, which received widespread bad press in the wake of the Baby P scandal, during which news media who often criticise those in social work of being too eager to take children into care hit out at social workers in Haringey for not being eager enough.

The initiative, which kicked off with a celebrity-backed advertising campaign last month, aims to use real life stories of how social workers have helped at-risk people, aiming to show that as an industry there are many more happy endings than sad ones.
The TV adverts feature music star Goldie (pictured) and actress Samantha Morton, both of who benefited from the support of social workers earlier in their lives, and both got much media coverage when the ads were launched at the end of last month.

The aim for the PR teams involved is to maintain that momentum with other real life stories involving less famous people. One of the agencies involved is Band & Brown Communications. Their CEO, Gill Brown, told PR Week: “We’re implementing a far-reaching media relations programme to generate positive coverage about the real-life stories of social workers and the people they help. We are also working with the profession, government and wider stakeholder audiences such as local authorities, professional associations and unions”.

Posted Friday September 11 2009 by Chris Cooke

Related categories: Media Relations Public Sector