Social workers are hampered by unmanageable caseloads

Four in 10 social workers feel their caseload is unmanageable and two-thirds say it has increased in the past 12 months, a survey has found.

The online poll by Liquid Personnel also found that more than half of social work managers believe their team’s morale has dropped, exacerbated by negative media coverage.

Headline findings on the subject of caseloads include:

    *Four in 10 social workers feel their caseload is unmanageable 
    *Two-thirds say their caseload has increased in the past 12 months
    *84% of all social workers said they often work overtime to get the job done

Liquid Personnel, Managing Director, Jonathan Coxon, commented; “Our survey highlights some of the difficulties of being a frontline social worker. While child protection workers are often portrayed negatively in the media, it’s essential to stand up for social workers and give a true reflection of the challenges they are faced with in their daily work.

“Excessive caseloads are a problem for many social work teams, and they can have a significant effect on frontline workers’ ability to do their jobs effectively.

“We have seen how unmanageable caseloads can lead to dangerous working conditions and create risks for vulnerable children, and this situation will persist unless caseloads are addressed.”