Yes, this is an awful case – but it is isolated (something the Daily Mail often forgets to mention in their stories), and thankfully rare. I think it is unfair to label all social workers as ‘stupid’ and ‘useless’ – they undertake a very difficult job, and will slip up from time to time.
The vast majority do a fantastic job with minimal resources and support, and deserve our thanks and appreciation. We would certainly be worse off without them.