I fear a hunt for scapegoats rather than truth. That is why I write, as a former NIPSA representative in Omagh, to express my dismay at some of the publicity about the report into the Lammy fire tragedy.

There was no evidence in the report that social workers and their managers were in any way responsible for the tragedy. Most recommendations for change related to another teenager who visited and stayed with the McEnhill family.

The implicit criticism is that children were not removed from a family for their own protection. Fact: social workers cannot remove children from a family without a sound legal reason. Would those who now call for the heads of social workers for not intervening rush to the defence of social workers when they remove at-risk children from families against the will of the parents?

As a society, have we reached the ridiculous point where we attach all responsibility for the care and protection of children to one professional group? After such tragedies, is it easier to blame someone else rather than assume some of the responsibility for the protection of children ourselves?

The report admitted there are problems with waiting lists for child protection work. In such situations social workers have to prioritise cases. They have to make complex decisions about vulnerable children in the pressurised circumstances of long waiting lists, heavy caseloads, and excessive working hours. Can we be surprised that important elements of good practice such as communication, recording and supervision were not to the highest standards?

The stress of working in child protection drives many social workers out of this area of work. Stress related sick leave and high staff turnover are endemic. Inexperienced, newly qualified staff are thrown in at the deep end. These difficulties have been known to the department, the health boards and senior trust managers for years; so let's not now criticise social workers, their team leaders and local managers who work tirelessly to maintain a service in extremely demanding circumstances. Negative publicity will not improve services but only discourage even more social workers from working in child protection.

M. Duffy