A debt of gratitude.

THE time has come to appreciate that most social workers do a difficult - but hugely important - job very well.

Countless thousands of children, as well as we as a country as a whole, owe a great deal of thanks to the profession.

Social workers save lives and help put broken people back together, improving communities for the benefit of us all.

Yes, mistakes are made and when they are, as in the case of Baby P, the terrible result underlines the value of their work.

Attempts to whip up hysteria against social workers after Baby P's death risked driving away good recruits.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls is right to back the Help Give Them A Voice campaign.

As he says, social workers are never praised like the police, firefighters and teachers.

That's because their best work is done in private, out of the public eye.

But in future, that must not stop us acknowledging our social workers perform a vital public service.