Social workers mad at a TV drama need to relax

By Claire Fox | 30 January 2018
  • Claire Fox

So far, I have really enjoyed Kiri, Jack Thorne’s latest drama for Channel 4. 

It portrays a social worker at the centre of the abduction of a nine-year-old black child called Kiri, about to be adopted by her white foster family. It has it all: brilliant acting; nuance; whodunit; human interest; surprising plot and character twists. Better still, it features one of those gritty, flawed, maverick anti-heroines we all love, played by the marvelous Sarah Lancashire. And for those of us interested in social issues, it addresses meaty, contentious themes such as cultural identity, inter-racial adoption, the rights of birth grandparents, the scapegoating of social workers when tragedies happen. 

Want full article access?


Receive The MJ magazine each week and gain access to all the content on this website with a subscription.

Full website content includes additional, exclusive commentary and analysis on the issues affecting local government.

Already a subscriber? Login

Social workers
Top