The voice of authority: five minutes with Nick Johnson

We talk to Nick Johnson, chief executive of the Social Care Association , about the challenges facing social care workers today and what the sector can do to help itself. What attracted you to the social work sector? I come from a family of ten children that was located in small town with a powerful sense of community. Although social work was not my first choice, these influences were the foundation of my interest. What do you wish you'd known when you started as a social worker? I wish I had known how much there was to know, which may have helped me to make fewer mistakes at the expense of the people I worked with. What have been the biggest changes you've seen in the sector? I started as Seebohm reported and genericism arrived. That, the impact of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and the 1989 Children Act and the last decade after the Care Standards Act would be the peaks. What has been your professional highlight? I strongly supported the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act which has changed the world for many disabled people. How do you think social work is perceived in the wider world? Wrongly by many people. As with all these things, everybody's got an opinion that they share in the pub. People who receive help and intervention from social workers are better placed to comment. Some will have found it beneficial, others will have found it a challenge. We are not there to please everyone and it is a tough job. What are the biggest challenges facing social workers today? Restoring a consensus that the poorest and most vulnerable people must be assisted by a civilised society to achieve a full contribution as citizens of their community, and that the vehicle by which this can be achieved is through social workers. What could the sector be doing to improve retention? Taking proper care of people who work for them through systems which serve best practice, excellent and consistent supervision, no heroic leadership by directors, and restoration of social workers' independent professional judgement with time to reflect and learn. You will notice I did not mention money! What is the one idea you've heard recently that you think could revolutionise social work? The possibility of externalising social work to private practice. I am not sure it is a good idea yet but it would revolutionise the profession. Where do you think you'll be in ten years time? Probably still working, health permitting as my pension is unlikely to pay my way! I am to be ordained to permanent diaconate in the Catholic church in November (a non stipendiary ministry), so I will be doing that as well. Tell us your favourite joke Bear goes into a pub…………………………………………………….big paws (pause – geddit?) This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional . Join the local government network for more like this straight to your inbox.