Why only following orders will never be enough in social work

In social work, we are often caught between the expectations of management, the demands of bureaucracy, and the realities of human lives. Too often, practitioners are reduced to order-takers - expected to follow instructions, complete tasks, and tick boxes, rather than exercise judgment and professional autonomy.

But only taking orders doesn’t cut it. Not in a profession where the stakes are children’s safety, families’ futures, and the wellbeing of entire communities.

There have been times in my practice where a child’s situation has reached a point of crisis, and what was needed was timely, decisive action. Yet instead, progress slowed because the “right” person to authorise the decision was unavailable, or because organisational processes took priority. In such situations, the insights of the social worker - often the person who has known and worked with the child over many months - can be minimised. Instead of acting on professional knowledge and relationships, the focus drifts toward technical procedures that may tick compliance boxes but do little to improve safety or wellbeing.

The outcome is depressingly familiar: a decision to wait, to schedule another meeting, to defer action until every step in the procedure is satisfied. Eventually, the plan that gets agreed often mirrors the original assessment and recommendations of the frontline worker. But, by then, opportunities for measured, planned intervention may have been lost, leaving the child at risk of being drawn into emergency responses that could have been avoided.

As a Sikh, I am guided by the principles of Seva (selfless service) and Sarbat da Bhala (working for the welfare of all). These values call me to act with courage, compassion, and integrity, even when it is uncomfortable. Sikhi teaches us not to stand by passively in the face of injustice, but to speak truth and take responsibility for protecting the vulnerable. To me, that is the very heart of social work. When our professional voice is muted or dismissed, not only are we undermined, but the values that should guide this profession are lost.

The Social Work England Professional Standards reinforce this too: we are expected to use our professional judgment, apply critical reflection, and act in the best interests of those we support. Those standards cannot be met if social workers are reduced to simply following orders.

Social work is not - and cannot be - a conveyor belt of instructions.

Every case involves complexity, uncertainty, and competing needs. Practitioners bring cultural insight, empathy, and lived experience that no management directive can capture. When that expertise is ignored, outcomes suffer. Families are not spreadsheets. Children are not data points. And social workers are not robots.

The irony is that, while social workers are encouraged to “think independently” in training, the culture in practice often pushes us in the opposite direction. Hierarchies, risk-averse decision-making, and fear of criticism can lead managers to default to command-and-control. It’s safer, on paper, to say “just follow the procedure” than to trust a practitioner’s professional judgment. But the very essence of social work - critical thinking, reflection, and relationship-based practice - is lost in the process.

True accountability in social work doesn’t come from blindly following orders. It comes from professionals who are empowered to question, to reflect, and to act in the best interests of the people they serve. That doesn’t mean working in isolation or ignoring guidance - it means recognising that professional autonomy is not a threat to the system, but its strength.

If we want better outcomes, we need a culture shift. One where practitioners are trusted to do more than take orders. One where managers create space for dialogue, not just directives. One where the value of frontline insight is recognised, not sidelined.

As social workers, we are trained to challenge injustice and speak truth to power. That responsibility doesn’t end at the community’s doorstep - it also applies within our own profession. Because when we reduce social workers to order-takers, we reduce the very heart of what makes social work effective. And in the end, it is children, families, and communities who pay the price.

Only taking orders doesn’t cut it. Never has. Never will.