The Social Work Public Perception Myth

Abstract Social workers in England consistently raise concerns that the public have a negative perception of them. In contrast, when the public are asked directly about their perceptions of social workers, they tend to be relatively positive. Within this context, this research undertook a genealogy of discourse looking at government policy texts from 2003 to 2023 to better understand how and why a discourse around negative public perception of social workers perpetuates. In total, twenty policy texts were analysed. The findings demonstrate that government policy texts consistently refer to a negative public perception of social workers and the need to address this. Most of these assertions are made with limited or no evidence. Despite this, they are frequently used to justify major reforms within the profession. After presenting these findings, the article looks in more depth at the research that does exist around the public perception of social workers in England. Linked research and literature related to media portrayals of social workers are also discussed. It is suggested that alongside justifying reforms, the discourse around the negative public perception of social workers acts to distract from other issues facing the profession, including working conditions, and to control social workers and reduce dissent.