I have made the point before (for example, in my Understandnig Social Work book) that social work involves, to a certain extent, doing society's dirty work - dealing with things that so many people would like to sweep under the carpet: abuse, poverty, discrimination and oppression, trauma and so on. This then puts us in quite a weak position when it comes to being appreciated and valued for the contribution we make. And yet, ironically, research about satisfaction levels from users of social work services are generally very positive and encouraging. So, it is good to know that there is at least some valuing of social work going on, especially as this appreciation comes from the people who matter most - our clientele.

But there are three other groups of people where social work can be valued too:

1. Other professionals Perhaps ther are some lessons we can learn about how to do a better job of convincing other professionals of the value of what we do and what we have to offer - 'setting out our stall' as I call it in Practising Social Work.

2. Managers My experience over the years has convinced me that the managers who show appreciation of their staff's efforts are precisely the managers who are more likley to earn the respect, trust and support of their staff. A little appreciation goes a long way.

3. Ourselves Of course, it is great to know that our efforts are valued and appreciated and it can be frustrating when they are not, but I believe one of the major challenges of social work is to be able to do our best in difficult circumstances, to make the best of a situation ratehr than just moan about it being far from ideal. So, while we are making efforts to convince others of the value of what we do, we should hold on to the idea that what we do is important and valuable, even though its value will not always be appreciated as widely as it should be.