Social workers: tell us how the cost of living crisis is affecting you and the people you support

Rising prices are having a devastating impact on many people's lives. If you're a social worker based in adults', children's or mental health services, Community Care would like your perspective

By Alex Turner on July 1, 2022 in Adults, Children

Credit: vegefox / Adobe Stock

Aside from the war in Ukraine, no subject has dominated the news in 2022 more than the cost of living crisis.

Soaring costs for energy, fuel and food – driven in part by the war, as well as other factors such as supply-chain issues – are forcing households across the UK to cut back on spending.

Energy bills have increased at least 14 times more quickly than wages, according to unions, plunging people into debt.

Social workers: take Community Care’s survey and let us know your thoughts on how the cost of living crisis is hitting you and people you support.

Things are set to get worse in the autumn as falling temperatures coincide with another rise in the energy price cap, which has already gone up by almost £700.

Many experts have been warning that the crisis is deepening societal inequalities, because it is hitting poorer households hardest.

With this in mind, we are launching a survey to gather social workers’ perspectives on how people you support are being affected – and whether you feel you have the tools to mitigate those impacts.

Of course, public-sector employees, including social workers, are also feeling the pinch. We also want to know if your work and personal life are being affected, whether your petrol allowance is meeting costs and whether your employer is taking any steps to ease the pressure on staff. If you’ve recently gone agency or are thinking of doing so, is the cost of living crisis a factor? And how much do employers need to be raising salaries by?

If you are a social worker or social work manager within a local authority, children’s services trust, NHS trust, Cafcass or any other statutory body in the UK, we’d like to hear from you.

Please take a few minutes to complete Community Care’s survey on the cost of living crisis and let us know how it is affecting you and the people you support.

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2 Responses to Social workers: tell us how the cost of living crisis is affecting you and the people you support

Alyson Williams July 3, 2022 at 7:43 am #

The situation is that social workers are fed up of trying to do their job with both hands tied behind their back. For people who need a care package there are not enough carers to go around..Why? Because who wants a job where you are paid a pittance and most of the money goes on petrol. People are left in hospital where there are also lack of nurses again, why stay in a job that is under valued and underpaid and you need foodbanks to survive. It is a scary time to be a social worker because when people die because of the above Safeguarding will consider neglect…what SW wants that on their CV?
DG July 4, 2022 at 9:17 pm #

I just finished and passed my asye. I started after 6mths in the job. I received a golden hello in the first year but now I earn less than the think ahead students..Ridiculous as I have been qualified 18mths ago and only earn 24k
I can’t afford to stay in my team which I love. My clients are struggling and have no idea I am le ing be ause I. A f afford to stay.