Toolkit to improve wellbeing of social workers launched
![working conditions](/sites/default/files/styles/uncropped_xs/public/working_conditions.png?itok=LIfgQPW5)
Professional Social Work magazine - 15 July
The wellbeing of social workers is intrinsically linked to their ability to work within systems that enable them to make a positive difference to people’s lives.
BASW chief executive Ruth Allen spelt out the link at the launch of a toolkit aimed at providing a barometer for wellbeing while also indicating how workers and managers can enhance it.
Allen said: “One of the things that is stressful is social workers often feel they are working within systems of care that are too late in the day.
“They are dealing with more crisis and aren’t able to do preventative work and have too few resources.
“To shift the tanker you need social workers involved in designing a future social care that is proactive and is about not only being a safety net when people have fallen through but is able to do the preventative work.
“That is intrinsically linked to wellbeing among social workers, feeling like you have some control and influence and are helping to shape services that make a difference.”
Allen added: “Helping people thrive helps social workers thrive.”
The Social Work Working Conditions Wellbeing Toolkit emerged from research commissioned by BASW and the Social Workers Union (SWU) carried out by Bath Spa University highlighting high levels of stress within the workplace.
The study revealed absences caused by stress were the highest among all sectors, social workers working an average of 11 hours beyond their contracted hours a week, working when they should have been off ill and nearly half seeking to leave their job or role.
Lead researcher at Bath Spa Jermaine Ravalier said: “That clearly has a knock-on effect. We know high levels of sickness absence, mental stress and poor working conditions has an impact on physiological health.
“Chronic stress at work is closely related to development of cardiovascular conditions and things that can lead to diabetes.
“It also impacts on our subjective behaviour – having a stressful day at work and going home and having a glass or two of wine.”
He added most important was the impact this had on service users. “If you our suffering how can you provide the best care to your service users?
“High levels of stress and poor work conditions can lead to more mistakes and less permanence to service users.”
Despite such workplace issues, the survey also found the thousands of social workers responding to the survey universally said they were motivated by making a difference to people’s lives.
Ravalier added: “So this isn’t an issue with social work but the structural systems around you.”
As well as providing a way for social workers to measure and act on their own stress levels at work, the toolkit also looks at what managers and leaders within employing organisations can do.
John McGowan, general secretary of SWU, said: “The wellbeing guide will help trade unions and employer representatives and hopefully develop knowledge and promote engagement with employers.
“Ultimately looking after the vulnerable requires us to prioritise our own wellbeing too. Supervision alone can’t safeguard the psychological wellbeing of social workers. If we care about our work the concept of wellbeing is something we should all invest in.”
Leire Agirre, principal social worker at Central Bedfordshire council, spoke of the importance of employers enabling the “power and influence” of social workers to make a difference.
“I came to the realisation we should release social work potential and we need the correct mechanisms to help social workers not survive but thrive.
“We make managers understand the potential of the workforce. We now have wellbeing as a strand within our transformation - my message to people is anyone can initiate wellbeing initiatives in the workplace. It doesn’t require money. We have utilised knowledge, passion and commitment to want to make a difference.”
England professional officer Wayne Reid urged employers to also do more to support workers from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.
“They should have a strong clear commitment in the form of a statement which should include some action plan on how they will support workers and challenge racism in the workplace,” he said.
One way of doing this he added was “reverse mentoring” of senior managers by staff from black and minority ethnic communities.
This article is published by Professional Social work magazine which provides a platform for a range of perspectives across the social work sector. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the British Association of Social Workers.