Tributes paid to respected social affairs journalist David Mitchell
Published by Professional Social Work magazine, 22 February, 2022
David Mitchell – former editor of Professional Social Work’s Scottish sister magazine Rostrum – has died, aged 67.
In a journalistic career spanning five decades, including a period as deputy news editor of Community Care, David developed a strong understanding and expertise reporting on the social care sector.
His interest was sparked by a period working in a homeless hostel in Birmingham after leaving school.
He gained his first job in journalism with the Scottish County Press in Edinburgh as a reporter on its weekly newspaper titles.
A continuing passion for social issues was demonstrated in several articles he wrote highlighting the plight of homeless people, including staying overnight in a hostel in Edinburgh.
David moved from newspapers to magazines, first as a reporter with Contract Journal in 1980, then the Nursing Mirror as news editor in 1983, before becoming a reporter for Community Care in 1986 where he rose to deputy news editor in 1988.
Two years later, he joined Social Services Insight as deputy editor and news editor before editing Rostrum until it was rebranded as PSW Scotland in 2013. He continued as editor of PSW Scotland until it was incorporated into a relaunched PSW magazine in 2017.
His sister Ginny West said: “My brother was a kind person who helped those where he could. He had a good sense of humour, was very sociable and enjoyed company. However, his work demanded a great deal of time and energy and he was often difficult to pin down when we wanted to go out, when I visited from Hull.”
Drew Clode, former editor of Social Services Insight, said of David: “I appointed him the magazine’s deputy editor/news editor in 1990.
“It was an important and complicated role, but one which he grew into steadily and successfully. Mild-tempered and good fun to work with, he had a particularly good eye for page design and layout – which was to stand him well in his post-Insight freelance career.
“He was passionate about both his joint Scottish and Italian heritage. As well as keeping me well-informed about what was going on in the world of social care, he also frequently briefed me on the rise of nationalism in Scotland and what it could mean for the UK.
“Touchingly, he once recorded for me Vaughan Williams’ Phantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis as well as other English folk music. I still have the tape, but no longer have the means of playing it!"
Ruth Stark, former manager of the Scottish Association of Social Work, said: “David reported on many of the inquiries and social work reviews, always making sure that people with lived experience had their voice. He was a stickler for accuracy and good communication, and it was always a pleasure to read something he had written. His skill in keeping us connected within our communities will be missed.”
Professional Social Work editor Shahid Naqvi said: “I worked closely with David for a number of years and have fond memories of his humour and sharp wit. We often talked about non-work-related matters and I recall how delighted he was when he became an uncle.
“We only met face-to-face once, at a conference, but I had a lot of respect for his knowledge of the social work sector and journalistic skills – his proofreading was second to none! “Mostly, though, I remember him as a thoroughly decent and caring human being.”
In his free time, David had an interest in music, being a fan of David Bowie, and sung in a number of bands during the 70s.
He was also a member of an operatic company and trod the boards with them in The Kings Theatre in Edinburgh.
A keen fixer of things from a young age, this interest progressed to cars in adulthood when he would often repair vehicles with his brother, Steve. He once saved his brother from serious injury by pulling him out from under a Citroën when the hydraulic suspension on it was accidentally activated.
David was a devoted uncle to his brother’s children, Calum and Arianna. He is survived by his older brother Ronnie, sister Ginny and his younger brother Steve. His funeral will take place at 10am tomorrow, Monday, 28 February, at Seafield Crematorium, Edinburgh.