Morale In City’s Social Work Service At Low Point, Inspectors Find

Low morale among Edinburgh social workers was highlighted by a new inspection report. The reported state of morale in the city’s social work services was among the lowest of any of the local authorities so far scrutinised by the Social Work Inspection Agency.

The finding came in a report by the agency which was generally approving of the services provided by the council. But morale was among the “key areas” where improvement was needed, it said.

The inspection report was carried out at a time when the council was in the middle of a “serious financial crisis”.

Social services had also been reorganised in Edinburgh, with some functions going to a new department of children’s services and others to a department of health and social care. The study also took place after an inspection of child protection which had criticised some aspects of the work being carried out.

Yesterday’s report said: “Despite feeling they were doing a good job, many staff were not positive about morale in their team.

“Over six in 10 of those in the department of health and social care, and four in 10 staff working in the children and families department, disagreed that morale in their team had been good for at least the last six months. The overall level of disagreement is one of the highest of the authorities inspected to date.”

Main concerns among staff were the amount of change they had to cope with in a short period, and their inability to provide resources needed by people who used their services.

Paul Edie, the council’s health and social care convener, said: “Although it is clear from the report that there is still room for development, it was reassuring to hear that all the areas for improvement identified by the inspection, including child protection, were already within a range of social work action plans, with much progress already noted.”