Trying to See Round Corners

Trying to See Round Corners is a new non-fiction book by retired social worker Reg Morris.

It gives readers the opportunity to take a glimpse behind the curtain that often seems to obscure the inner workings of the world of the social worker.

Reg Morris has taken a collection of genuine day-to-day episodes and challenging events and people that actually took place within several Midlands social services departments throughout the latter part of the last century.

Of course, Reg Morris has changed names concerned to protect the anonymity of those concerned, be they victims, non-victims or bystanders.

He tells the story through the character of Colin Millwood, a former teacher, who begins as a wet behind the ears but very enthusiastic new social worker dealing with children and young people

Just before his arrival the Social Services Department where he worked had taken the decision to combine the previously separate branches of social care, mental health, children and families, the elderly and the disabled.

It had been intended that this move would bring great benefits with social workers being general practitioners (so to speak) rather than, as before, having specialist roles with different client groups. 

However, it transpired that the expected benefits failed, in the main, to materialise.

But it was into this melting pot that a young Colin Millwood was dropped. However, under the guidance of a skilled and experienced mentor Colin makes good progress.

We see children who have unexplained bruises. Is the child genuinely clumsy and in need of help of one kind? Or is the child the subject of abuse and in need of help of another kind?

He learned a great deal. For example, that a bit of dirt on a child wasn't exactly life threatening. There was also the office flutter on the Grand National. 50 pence a go per horse. All part of the office camaraderie. Plus the outside chance of winning a few quid.

He learned the dubious joys of being an on call social worker, which often involved being at home from 5pm on Saturday to 9am on Sunday.

There was a case of a group of girls who had been arrested for shoplifting in the Wolverhampton branch of Boots. 

One of the mothers was so disheartened by her daughter's behaviour that she refused to have her returned home. 

The shoplifting (which was with a group of schoolfriends, all arrested at the same time) incident was, as far as her mother was concerned, the last straw. She did not want her daughter at home. She wanted her to be "taught a lesson" by being taken into care. How could Colin successfully deal with this situation?

There was also the case of two young women performing a striptease in an upstairs room of their house. They were entertaining prisoners in the jail that was on the other side of the road. As a result, the prisoners in the wing involved were put into lockdown and on the point of rioting.

As a result the two women were arrested and held, potentially on charges of public order offences and even of inciting a riot. To complicate matters one of the women involved had a child of just over a year old, who had to be looked after. Luckily her maternal grandmother stepped in to look after the baby.

There were holidays for disabled clients to organise, family health visitors to liaise with, new colleagues to get to know and visits to numerous clients to arrange and copious notes to keep on them and also on meetings of various other agencies.

It's an interesting book and is a revealing read into the life of a dedicated social worker.

It's published by Matador at £8.88.