More than half of social workers feel unprepared to tackle the impact of social media on children, a Community Care poll has found.

This follows the release of Netflix drama Adolescence in March, which sparked a national debate in the UK around the growing influence of online content on children – particularly young boys.

The four-episode series follows the aftermath of a 13-year-old boy being accused of murdering a girl from his school and explores children’s exposure to misogyny and incel (involuntarily celibate) culture online.

‘An emerging and growing problem’ – Starmer

In the wake of the show’s success, prime minister Keir Starmer described the online radicalisation of boys as “an emerging and growing problem” and backed screenings of Adolescence in secondary schools.

However, he cautioned that there was not a “lever” he could pull to solve the problem, adding: “Only by listening and learning from the experiences of young people and charities can we tackle the issues this groundbreaking show raises.”

With social workers often supporting children who spend long periods online, how equipped do they feel to tackle the influence of online culture?

A Community Care poll with 640 responses found that one-third of practitioners didn’t feel “at all” equipped to address the influence of social media on children, while 25% said they were only “a little” equipped.

Only 15% stated they were “very” well-equipped, and 27% said they were “somewhat” so.

If you’d like to share or write about your take on Adolescence and working with children who spend long periods online, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com

Celebrate those who’ve inspired you

Photo by Daniel Laflor/peopleimages.com/ AdobeStock

Do you have a colleague, mentor, or social work figure you can’t help but gush about?

Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how the person has inspired you.

*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*

If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com

Social workers believe racial bias greatly affects child protection practice, a poll has found.

This follows a recent report by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel on the impact of race, ethnicity and culture on cases where children have died or suffered serious harm.

The case reviews studied, which involved mixed-heritage, black and Asian children, were “silent” about the presence of racial bias in professionals’ decision making and on the role of racism in services’ responses to families.

The panel found that children’s race and ethnicity were often not recognised, appropriately explored or understood by practitioners, resulting in them not having a full understanding of children’s lived experience and the vulnerabilities they faced.

Only 7% said racial bias affected child protection practice “not at all”, while 5% believed there was “little” influence.

The national panel’s report is the latest in a series of studies to highlight issues with the way the social care system responds to children and families from black, Asian and ethnic minority communities.

Practitioners did not sufficiently consider children’s needs in relation to their race, ethnicity and culture in responding to child sexual abuse, found a review last year carried out for the panel by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse.

Meanwhile, a 2023 Nuffield Family Justice Observatory study identified significant ethnic inequalities in the use and timing of care proceedings.

Celebrate those who’ve inspired you

Photo by Daniel Laflor/peopleimages.com/ AdobeStock

Do you have a colleague, mentor, or social work figure you can’t help but gush about?

Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.

*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*

If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Social workers’ caseloads do not align with the average calculated by the Department for Education, a Community Care poll has found.

Based on submissions from councils, the DfE calculated that, in September 2024, the average caseload for children’s social workers in England was 15.4. 

This was down from 16.0 twelve months earlier and 16.6 in 2022.

Social workers’ caseloads ‘well above’ DfE calculations

However, social workers have rejected the DfE’s calculations.

A Community Care poll with almost 600 votes found that the department’s average was “well below” 78% of respondents’ caseloads.

Only 15% said it was in line with their experience. 

‘I have never had a caseload as low as 15’

Social workers commenting on the related article also dismissed the figure, deeming it “misleading”.

“Numbers of children allocated to social workers is very misleading,” said Stella Potente. “How many families? What is the intensity of the work? How many of the families are in court proceedings? How many require parenting assessments?” 

Many admitted they never had a caseload of 15 cases, with Linsey Parker calling the number “a pipe dream”.

“If you double it, and add the extra hours outside working hours, it would be more realistic. Social workers just keep calm and carry on until they mentally can’t,” she said.

Jemma added: “I have never had a caseload as low as 15, and still don’t. I am also confused as to why the focus is on the number of cases and does not factor in the complexity. Social work should not be based on numbers and figures.”

Another practitioner, Roisin, who qualified in 2017, said she had been allocated 20 cases in her assessed and supported year in employment – a number that has not decreased since.

“[I have had] between 20-25 looked-after children cases. It’s not easy maintaining complex cases and families on a long-term basis with those numbers.”

‘Figure includes non-case-holding practitioners’

One social worker, Kelly, noted that the figure failed to be “a true reflection” of the reality because they included cases held by managers, who would generally be responsible for far fewer children than frontline practitioners, depressing the average.

Similarly, Guli said the DfE’s average was “artificially low” because social workers were, in practice, supporting unallocated siblings of children on their caseloads.

“The ultimate responsibility for safeguarding all these unallocated children falls on your unpaid and unrecognised overtime,” they added.

Celebrate those who’ve inspired you

Photo by Daniel Laflor/peopleimages.com/ AdobeStock

Do you have a colleague, mentor or social work figure you can’t help but gush about?

Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.

*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*

If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Social workers undergo continuous performance evaluation through supervision, management meetings and annual appraisals.

While managers are similar appraised by those at even higher levels of seniority, some have argued that practitioners should be able to have their say on the performance of those they report into.

A 2024 Community Care poll found that social workers were more likely to leave an employer over unsupportive management than pay – and enabling them to appraise their managers may be one way of addressing this.

“All managers should be accountable to workers and service users, and we should be able to give feedback on their performance, as they do on ours,” said one practitioner, in a recent article about social workers’ views of management.

But do social workers agree?

A Community Care poll of around 1250 respondents found that 86% believed managers should be reviewed by their staff as part of their annual appraisals, in order to “ensure accountability”.

Only 14% felt this would add to “the already significant pressures on managers”.

‘Managers should be subject to scrutiny’

“Social work managers should be subject to much more scrutiny than they are, because ultimately their team depends upon them and looks to them for advice and guidance,” commented Mark.

Another social worker, Sara, described management in the sector as “out of touch” with frontline realities.

“If you raise an issue about workload, it is your fault,” she added. “If a client complains, it is your fault.

“I love social work, but hate the office politics, blame culture. If you speak up, you are classed as a trouble maker, then you are ostracised by managers and in the worst case get moved to another team.”

‘The very best managers know what it means to be compassionate’

Rose highlighted the stark contrast between good and poor leadership, stressing that “the very best managers” are those who are “compassionate and encouraging.”

“I have had the very best and very worst of managers in my 13 years in children’s social care,” she said. 

“The difference between them was not what pressures they were under themselves, or issues of having to meet unrealistic targets. It was a sound understanding of what it means and looks like to be compassionate, empathic, supportive and encouraging.” 

Celebrate those who’ve inspired you

Photo by Daniel Laflor/peopleimages.com/ AdobeStock

Do you have a colleague, mentor, or social work figure you can’t help but gush about?

Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.

*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*

If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com

Visiting people in need of support and face-to-face contact are considered integral parts of social work. 

However, completing visits is a task practitioners often must carry out alone, which, in some cases, carries a degree of risk.

As experienced children’s social worker Sophie Baker explained in a recent article for Community Care: “Many of these families are experiencing crises or challenges that can evoke strong emotions, like anger or fear. These situations make safety a crucial part of our practice.”

Concerns about social workers’ safety during visits have also been raised in relation to Mental Health Act assessments and domestic abuse referrals.

So how aware are practitioners of their safety during face-to-face contact with individuals and families?

A Community Care poll with nearly 650 votes found that most social workers (85%) were very (55%) or somewhat (30%) conscious of their safety when visiting those they support. 

Only 5% reported not being ‘at all’ concerned, while 10% said they were ‘a little’ conscious. 

‘Who is protecting us?’

“I think in our profession not enough consideration is given to the worker – let’s face it, we usually work alone, and situations can change very quickly,” commented Rosie R. in the related article.

“We “choose” to work with, and protect children, though who or what body is protecting us?”

One children’s social worker described being denied support when working with a mentally unwell mother.

“There often isn’t managerial or peer support in place to allow us to feel fully safe, protected, and supported,” they said.

“In one case, I [was supporting] a mentally unwell mother who was extremely aggressive and prone to making false allegations against social workers, with the aim being to obstruct visits. I knew I needed a second worker for my own safety, as well as to be a witness.”

‘I was not prepared to compromise my safety’

The practitioner initially relied on colleagues for support during visits, but all that stopped when the team manager found out.

“[They were] very angry and upset with me, which made me feel bad for seeking support, and told me I needed to go out on my own,” said the practitioner.

“There was no discussion about how I felt, nor about possible options on managing the situation. I was not prepared to compromise my own safety and wellbeing, so I handed in my notice.”

Celebrate those who’ve inspired you

Photo by Daniel Laflor/peopleimages.com/ AdobeStock

Do you have a colleague, mentor, or social work figure you can’t help but gush about?

Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.

*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*

If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com

Practitioners have rejected Social Work England’s proposed 33% rise in registration fees, with most saying that the regulator should focus on improving “value for money” instead, in response to a Community Care poll.

The plan, currently subject to a 12-week consultation, would mean fees for joining the register, and for annual renewal, would rise from £90 to £120 from 1 September 2025, before rising by a further 1.85% per year up to 2028-29.

The policy is designed to rebalance the regulator’s funding from taxpayers, who have borne a rising share of its funding since 2020, to social workers, whose registration fees have been frozen since 2015.

‘Improve value for money instead’

However, a Community Care poll with almost 2,000 votes, saw social workers objecting to the regulator’s move.

Most respondents (60%) rejected the proposal outright and said that Social Work England should instead “improve value for money”, while one-third believed the increase could only be justified if practitioners’ salaries were considerably improved.

Only 6% called the rise a “good idea”, in the context of the regulator’s struggles to resource fitness to practise cases.

‘A slap in the face for social workers’

The comments under the related article painted a picture of equally strong opposition, with many readers highlighting the lack of meaningful pay rises for social workers in recent years.

“This is really unfair, considering we haven’t had a pay rise in a long time,” said one practitioner.

“The work continues to get harder and more complex, including increased caseloads [and] less management support. Increasing the registration fee from £90 to £120 per year is just another slap in the face for social workers, who are already struggling to make ends meet.”

Joy called the move ‘unfair’, adding: “As a children’s social worker, my wage is small [and has not increased]. Increasing the fee is a big leap.”

‘It just cannot continue as it is’

Another social worker, Louise, believed the regulator’s aim to save taxpayers money would have been better served by improving working conditions for practitioners.

“The pressures of the job are destroying so many social workers and forcing them to quit or work in survival mode,” she said. “This [puts] pressure on other resources and the very people social workers [support] face the brunt of it all. This costs taxpayers even more!

“I would gladly pay the extra fees if Social Work England started to look at why so many social workers are on their knees. Instead of looking at their fitness/capacity to do the job, do something about what is stopping them and making them so disheartened! It just cannot continue as it is!”

‘Tokenistic’ consultation on proposal

A few readers criticised Social Work England’s consultation as “tokenistic”, with Christine Griffith saying the decision “has clearly already been made”.

She was also critical of the regulator for “excessive” delays to fitness to practise hearings and for its decision not to review a sample of practitioners’ continuing professional development submissions following last year’s registration renewal period.

“Each November, we are pressured to finish our continuing professional development (CPD) requirements, yet this year, they weren’t even reviewed!”

Jo M, who has completed Social Work England’s survey on its proposals, suggested CPD requirements should have been included in the consultation.

“I am really angry at this proposal. I work part-time due to caring responsibilities and would like a similar pay rise as pay awards always fall below the cost of living. I would like to know what I’m paying for and perhaps CPD requirements could have been included in the consultation.”

‘Social workers need to take action’

Others were doubtful whether practitioners would take action to oppose the fee increase.

“There is one thing that social workers can do, but won’t do – get organised across the country and mass refuse to pay the increase,” said Jack. “Employers would get involved as they can’t suddenly recruit hundreds of agency workers.”

He added: “I spent over a year on strike…and suffered enormous financial and psychological stress. We believed in the justness of our actions and, though […] previously good relationships were broken, we kept our jobs and nobody was given a negative reference if they chose to leave.”

Crispy added: “Social work enjoys being oppressed. It’s part of our martyr identity. Real-term pay cuts year on year but take one day for industrial action? Absolutely not, no thanks!”

Petition against rise

On the day of the announcement, some social workers launched an online petition calling for the regulator to rescind its proposal, which has received over 2,400 signatures.

While acknowledging the rising costs of fitness to practise cases, the petition organisers urged the regulator to address the “root causes” of these, such as “excessive caseloads, workplace stress, and inadequate support”, rather than “placing the financial burden on social workers”.

You can respond to Social Work England’s consultation survey until 13 May 2025.

Practitioner opinion is split over non-social work qualified staff carrying out child in need assessments, a poll has found.

Under 2023 reforms to the Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance, staff other than social workers can take on child in need assessments, under the oversight of a social work-qualified manager or practice supervisor.

This approach is currently being tested by the 10 families first for children pathfinder areas, where assessments and cases have been allocated to a range of staff, as part of the development of family help teams. These are responsible for targeted early help and child in need services and include social workers, family support staff and practitioners from disciplines such as substance misuse or domestic abuse.

Under the government’s children’s social care reforms, family help will be extended nationwide in 2025-26, though it will be up to individual councils to decide how far they do – or do not – ring-fence child in need assessments and cases for social workers.

Divided opinion

A Community Care poll with 800 votes found practitioners were divided on having non-social work qualified staff carry out child in need assessments.

Almost half of respondents (46%) said having non-social work qualified staff carry out child in need assessments carried “too much risk for children”.

This chimes with concerns raised by the British Association of Social Workers and Ofsted about the 2023 Working Together changes after they were announced.

Another 43% agreed “in principle” with the idea, but said the staff would need “appropriate training and supervision” for this to work.

Only 11% fully backed the idea, saying that many alternatively qualified staff were “highly skilled” and it would free up social workers’ time.

Practitioners have ‘experience, but lack knowledge’

One social worker, in the comments of a related article, called the idea “dangerous”, adding that the practitioners would have “experience, but lack the knowledge”.

“It’s a short-term, cost-effective measure that will bear huge costs in the long term, not to mention the human cost and impact that could well be catastrophic.”

However, Tahin responded by saying that there should be less “assumed knowledge”, from having a social work qualification, and “more promotion of experience”.

What do you think of alternatively qualified staff carrying out child in need assessments and holding these cases?

In late January, unions lodged a claim for a £3,000 pay rise for local government and school support staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 2025-26.

UNISON, the GMB and Unite said council workers were “overdue” a significant pay rise, having previously “missed out on the higher wage settlements” awarded to other public sector staff, such as NHS workers.

‘We deserve compensation’

But what do social workers think of the 2025-26 pay claim?

Out of 1,839 respondents in a Community Care poll, the majority (63%) said the pay rise was “the least” they deserved “to compensate for years of pay cuts”.

Of the rest, 18% believed it was “a recipe for protracted pay talks that would achieve very little”, a reference to the experience of the last two years when unions have settled for employers’ initial offer after several months of negotiations.

Meanwhile, 19% said the £3,000 claim would be “good in an ideal world”, but was “unrealistic”.

Discussions in the article’s comment section revealed divided opinions: some doubted unions’ ability to deliver, while others argued it was up to members to take action to achieve a decent increase.

‘Having three unions is counter-productive’

One reader said it was “counterproductive” for staff to be represented by three separate unions.

“They can’t agree, and by the time they ballot people, half the year has passed,” they said.

“I have voted to strike every single time, but the process drags on so long that it plays into the hands of the employer.”

Glen echoed this view, calling for a union specifically for children’s and adults’ services.

“The three public sector unions are too big with too many members from disparate roles and services,” he said. “Until there is a union dealing solely with adults’ and children’s services, nothing can or will change.”

‘Ineffective pay negotiations’

Others criticised unions’ negotiating processes.

“As usual, pointless ballots will be sent out at significant cost to the members and all for the initial offer to be accepted,” said Simone Davis.

“Meanwhile, the value of the pay rise [will be] reduced in value in the several months since it was offered due to inflation.”

Another practitioner, James, attributed this to a lack of strategy and leadership in managing negotiations.

“The unions serve a general purpose and that’s not to be entirely dismissed but anyone arguing that their pay negotiations are effective is living on another planet,” added Johnny Ross.

He added it would be another year in which the unions accepted employers’ initial offer “without negotiating any changes at all”.

‘Social workers don’t use their vote’

Photo: New Africa/Adobe Stock

However, a number of social workers argued that union strength depended on active members.

“The unions are only as good as [their] members and if we don’t vote for strike action then their hands are tied and they have less power to negotiate,” said Cath Howard.

“We would have even worse conditions and pay if not for the unions. They play an important role – don’t underestimate that.”

Jason said that while social workers are dedicated to their roles, they aren’t very active as union members.

“We don’t use our vote, ignore the ballot, then get [angry] that what we think we are entitled to and deserve isn’t given to us. We then blame the union, our employers, and the government rather than take responsibility for the outcome. This is just a fact. It may be uncomfortable, but it is.”

Abdul added: “Change can start with social workers owning their part rather than blaming [the union]. I’d warrant in any given team 95% don’t know who their shop steward is and 99% have never attended a union meeting.”

‘Give unions a strong mandate’

Sam argued that members who were not active and non-members had lost “the privilege” to comment on this year’s pay claim.

“If social workers can’t be bothered to vote on the ballot then of course union negotiators are going to be hamstrung. Give them a strong mandate and if they fail on that, then legitimately criticise them,” he added.

“Moaning from the sidelines is the disease that is rotting social work and not just on this issue.”

Alison Johnson, who some years ago went on a strike for pay, said she was discouraged by the low turnout.

“Most of my team […] did not want to lose a day’s pay. It was frustrating but, as a result, I would be reluctant to take action again, because there is no collective will for it. There is now a minority in my team even in a union.”

Councils unable to meet pay demands

One practitioner, Doris, said councils wouldn’t be able to meet pay demands, so she would accept whichever offer was put forward.

“A decent pay rise that we all deserve would bankrupt most, if not all, councils. Because of this, we are in a terrible negotiating position. 

“The general public isn’t really that bothered if we go on strike. Maybe refuse collection but certainly not social work. [We aren’t] visible. Because of this, I will be voting to accept the first offer put forward at the first opportunity.”

What are your thoughts on the 2025-26 pay negotiations?

Celebrate those who’ve inspired you

Photo by Daniel Laflor/peopleimages.com/ AdobeStock

Do you have a colleague, mentor, or social work figure you can’t help but gush about?

Our My Brilliant Colleague series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.

Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in our nominations form with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.

*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*

If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com

In a 2018 survey of young people in care, one in eight said adults had done things that made them feel “embarrassed about being in care”.

The finding came in research for Bright Spots, charity Coram Voice’s ongoing programme to highlight care-experienced young people’s views, in order to influence local authority practice.

Since then, various literary works, campaigns to make ‘care experience’ a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and qualitative research have highlighted the effects of stigma on care-experienced people.

Lemn Sissay’s views on stigma in the care system

But where does the stigma around being in care stem from?

In an interview with Community Care, renowned poet and care leaver Lemn Sissay said that the idea of ‘something being wrong’ with children in care originated from those directly supporting them.

“[In my experience,] the most institutionalised people were those who worked in the care system,” he said.

“It’s very easy to have a blanket opinion of a person who’s obviously traumatised but quite demanding.”

A Community Care poll with 530 votes found that social workers largely agreed with him.

Over half (56%) said that the stigma surrounding care-experienced people originated, to a large extent, from within the care system itself, with a further 28% saying this was “somewhat” the case.

Only 16% believed felt this was “not very much” or “not at all” true.

What are your thoughts about the stigma children in care face within the care system?

Most social workers believe poverty is not significantly, or at all, considered in social care assessments and plans, a Community Care poll has found.

This follows recent Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) data highlighting how rising poverty and homelessness are driving demand for children’s social care.

ADCS found that inadequate housing, welfare reforms and families lacking access to public funds were key factors behind increased safeguarding activity.

As of 2022-23, 4.3m – or 30% of – children were in relative poverty in the UK, meaning they lived in a household whose income was below 60% of the average after taking account of housing costs. 

This is up from 27% of children in 2021-22 (source: Institute for Fiscal Studies).

Despite this, a Community Care poll of 468 readers found that 62% felt poverty was ‘not at all’ or ‘not very much’ taken into account in social care assessments and planning. 

Only a quarter (25%) said it was ‘somewhat’ considered, and 13% believed it played a significant role.

Do you consider the impact of poverty when conducting an assessment or drawing up a care plan?