After a lifetime as a junkie one man has been clean of drug abuse for nearly three years and is now helping other addicts overcome their problem.

“It’s stories like this that keep you going. One out of every 10 people you help might change, but these success stories make it all worth it,” according to social worker Anthony Girard.

He admits that getting through to that addict was not easy but he held on to the conviction, shared by many social workers, that people can change.

“Each time he did something wrong during the rehabilitation programme, I used to give him a bucket of water and a cloth and tell him to go clean the gate while he reflected on which side of the gate he wanted to be on.

“I’d tell him that, if he chose to leave, I would give him 50c to leave... But he never did,” Mr Girard said with a tone of satisfaction.

As the world marks Social Work Day today, Mr Girard spoke about the challenges and rewards of the job which, he jokes, he has been addicted to for the past 15 years.

The lack of social workers in Malta is no secret and had been recently highlighted in a report commissioned by the Children’s Commissioner. The report, which looked into the services offered to juvenile offenders, found that Appoġġ – the government’s support agency – had a large case workload that did not allow social workers to follow a case thoroughly.

Each social worker deals with about 40 cases when the recommended caseload is of about 10 to 15 children.

Mr Girard, who has worked with Sedqa and Caritas in the field of substance abuse, agreed the workload remained a problem.

“The thing is that social problems are on the increase and our resources cannot cope any longer. We need more social workers,” he said. Experience has thought him that social problems, such as addictions, are often passed on from one generation to the other and this is leading to an increase in the problems.

Because of the heavy workload he had heard of several social workers suffering from burnout – he was one of them and had to take a short break from the profession.

“But it’s hard to stay away from this job. It becomes part of you but you have to learn how to keep a certain distance or you will get burnt out,” he said, adding that learning how to detach yourself was not easy but not doing so was a burden on one’s family.

He encouraged social workers and social work students to approach their career with courage since their role was indispensible to society.

The Social Workers’ Association said every day social workers worldwide worked with vulnerable people and communities to promote change, dignity, social justice and human rights.

In the light of the current economic and environmental climate worldwide, social workers continued to strive and stand at the core of the challenges these situations brought about.

These challenges included growing caseloads, the increasing complexity of caseloads and limitation of services provided to service users.

“Despite these constraints social workers remain at the forefront to work with those who are most vulnerable. Social workers are to be appreciated for the hard work they do to provide a voice to those who do not have one,” the association said.