I’ve been a social worker gif nearly twenty years, undoubtedly it is a lot worse. I feel bad for the children and families I cannot build relationships with. I feel just as bad for the colleagues I cannot assist and wonder what the future holds for those coming into our profession.

Only amongst ourselves we will hear our weary cries, no one cares, which I find remarkable in such a ‘caring profession’.

Take the best of care that you can and look to exit to save your health and emotional well bring.

Best of luck!

Well said!

I don’t know what the answers are but I do know that we cannot carry on like this.

Our profession is broken our social workers are breaking, we are not adequately resourced, valued or recognised. This is nothing new. One survey after another comes out with the same old news.

Our voices are not heard. It’s about time that those that can represent us in government made the powers that be listen.

Come on BASW, SWE, SWU where are you? Why are the people that pay you to represent them feeling abandoned?

Police have a strong voice and political support.
Health have a strong voice and political support.
Education have a strong voice and political support.
Social Workers have no strong voice or political support.

Cinderella comes to mind working in isolation mopping up. When are we going to be invited to the ball on an equal footing with other professions.

Sadly I see no fairy-tale ending for us.

agree totally apart from comment about agency social workers – if they do come and go as they please, it is possibly another outcome of the pressures, stress and un workable work loads.
I was an agency worker for 5 years and did not come and go, but stayed even when I knew my mental and emotional health was at risk – when my managers were case holding also, when I wanted to show commitment to my team as well as my families, but where I burnt out.
The outcome was that didn’t get a reference because I burnt out when I couldn’t go on and when the team were so busy. Consequently, I’ve felt punished for being committed but at same time, I now know as agency worker or not, I have to prioritise me in order to survive as a social worker – not sure how we can do that sometimes, when we don’t even get the time or remember to go to the toilet during the course of a working day
There are good and the lesser in agency and permanent – please do not dismiss agency workers – all social workers should be on agency rates of pay!! And actually the agency pay rate reflects that no holiday or sick pay is given – as well as the fact that I as an agency worker have been given the worst/most complex and higher work loads that my permanent counterparts. In my view, social work is social work whether you’re agency or permanent – both (I can only speak for children’s services) I have seen to have in certain Locial Authorities being treated in an appalling way as workers – as the social work diary suggests in this instance.
It continues to confound me as to how we as social workers allow ourselves to work with such high stress when we would positively discourage those we hold dear to bear that of a social worker.