You right. Bad senior management and their entourage are moving from one local authority to another and causing havoc wherever they are. Principal Social Workers ignore what is happening to social workers and ignore complaints of bullying made to them.

And if your heavy caseload, lousy pay and lousy management don’t drive you out Social Work England will.

Although I’m an Adults SW it echoes what’s happening in the wider profession, and how SW’s are feeling right now after the worst global health crisis in our lifetime.

This was already happening long before the pandemic as SW’s were suffering stress/burnout due to poor working conditions, poor pay, lack of resources/supervision etc.

The pandemic has just brought it into sharp focus; many SW’s can’t take any more as it impacts their physical/mental health/family life/wellbeing, with negative consequences.

There are many reasons why SW’s are leaving in droves; and I agree with much of reasons above (not all David Smith)

However, my individual situation is one that’s more ‘nuanced’.

I left my full time SW NHS role just as the pandemic started due to family caring needs: I planned to find a ‘part time’ or agency role within reasonable travelling distance from home which would mean I could continue working whilst meeting my families needs.

We all know what happened next; pandemic, lockdowns, working from home etc etc.

Since then I have been earnestly trying to find a ‘part time’ SW role without success.
I have devoted much of my spare time and energy into trying to find paid employment for best part of 2 years now.

In my experience Invariably all SW roles advertised are full time; LA’s are without exception. The NHS have advertised the odd PT role (with a requirement of a 7 day shift pattern inc nights)

Most Agency roles are also full time (although might be short contracts).

If I spot a SW role advertised in my area (within a 20 mile radius) even if FT, I always email asking if there’s any scope for PT. I’ve lost count of number of emails I’ve sent; most times I don’t get a reply, and those managers that do always give same response; sorry it’s FT only.

So currently I’m still without an income trying very hard to find a role that fits for me.
At the moment I’m still managing to keep up my SWE/CPD by being involved in relevant SW unpaid roles. However I’m not sure how long I can maintain this, and I’ve seriously considered leaving the profession a few times this past year.

I find it difficult to understand why SW managers/directors are not offering opportunities to harness the skills and experience of motivated SW’s available to work PT, especially given the current recruitment crisis/staff shortages.

My experience is not unique, as I know there will be many SW’s who for whatever reasons; near retirement/family/health, or have just reflected on their work/life balance in current context and want or need to reduce their hours.

Employing PT SW’s should be facilitated and needs to change; it requires foresight, policy change, and maybe courage to speak out, but we all need to get behind campaigns to change the FT culture.

It can and should be done.

..and If you’re a SW reading this, you never know when I might be you.

Full story Abigail, I asked the pony handler why did he put a chalk mark on the inside of the tub about a third from the top and he then loaded the material into the tub to this line. I, as a youth asked him why he didn.t fill it to the top of the tub and he said to me that is what the pony will pull, any more and no pull. He then illustrated this to me by loading it to the top. He walked in front of the pony and gave the command to move. The reins tightened as the pony took the strain and the wheels began to move. Then full stop and no movement even when he pulled out a carrot….no movement until the additional weight was removed…..hence my claim. Tell others this story…see your managers laugh

Billy, I understand the joke you are making but that’s not true either is it? Pit ponies hauled what was loaded on didn’t they, they didn’t say stop I am exhausted now? Our managers might not listen to us but we can protest our conditions. Should we choose to we can take action collectively. Plain truth is that social work culture encourages woe is me I am helpless fatalism. Last time I looked no one attended a union meeting.

I was a coal miner before coming into social work in the 1970’s. I once wrote to the CEO of Cafcass that a pit pony in Bullcroft Colliery in the 1960’s had more control over its workload than his social workers. He laughed