Responding to a comment I made in the social work press, a social worker wrote that they found my concern for the ‘department’s reputation over the best interests of the client scary’.

This was in reference to giving money to a client so they could get out of debt with a drug dealer. In my option – however well intentioned the action – it should have been obvious to all concerned how this would play in the local media, to the detriment of the local authority and the social work profession.