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[amice]

I am a newly qualified social worker practising in a youth justice setting in the north of England.  I work with several other social workers and to all appearances we are  thinking and acting independently of the organisation we work for most of the time.

I had thought that I could define my social work identity using the existing conditions of practice but over the course of almost one year, the effort it has taken me to negotiate the demands of the organisation may have undermined my attempts to sustain a focus on the young people and community at large to whom I am the more accountable.

Probably as a result of a heavily prescriptive practice rhetoric with micro managed controls to measure professional compliance, several other social workers from the area have lately resigned in protest.  This surprises me as I had no idea of any active culture of dissent amongst social workers outside of academic circles.  On the other hand, I'm not sure whether resignation can be classed as being either 'active' or 'dissenting'.  I think I may not be alone in perhaps lacking the strategies to assert myself before the organisation I work for. I am beginning to see this as a necessary part of my job unfortunately maybe. 

I welcome all suggestions.

Regards,

Amice .