Sixty per cent of social workers consider quitting

Sixty per cent of social workers have considered leaving the profession in the last year, according to research by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW).

The findings also show that more than a fifth of children’s social workers are having to handle more than 30 cases at a time with more than 40 per cent saying they are supporting in excess of 20 cases at once.

The online survey of social workers, which attracted 210 responses, revealed that 32 per cent of workers believe lighter caseloads would help improve their practice.

A further 73 per cent of respondents received less than 30 hours professional development in the last year, despite the fact that social workers are required to undertake 90 hours of post registration training and learning over three years to maintain social work registration.

Hilton Dawson, chief executive of BASW, said: “The results of this survey confirm that a UK college of social work would help transform the status and standing of a profession that a successful society could not survive without.

“Other professions such as nursing, law, medicine, midwifery and psychiatry have colleges and social work is in desperate need of one too.”

But yesterday it was announced the professional body has been stopped from attending meetings of the College of Social Work Development Group as it is holding a referendum calling on members to support a BASW-led college.

Allan Bowman, chair of the development group, said: “BASW’s future participation in the development group depends on the results of the referendum and any decisions that the BASW Council takes based on those results. Should it be possible, the group is keen to involve BASW in the development of the college.”