The findings of Scotland’s first-ever wellbeing survey for social workers have been published and they can be described as nothing short of problematic.
Otherwise known as the Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey, the research was delivered via the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) who’ve pledged to conduct the study annually.
The contents were comprised of questions centred around wellbeing, pay, terms and conditions, support for and access to training and qualifications and general experiences of working in the sector.
It is understood that over 176,000 social workers partook in the research – SSSC is the workforce regulator for the social care sector and has access to data about how many people work in social work, care and children and young people-based professions.
While some of the figures from the study cast the sector in a negative light, there are also multiple positive takeaways. Some of the findings include:
- 65% reported coming into the social care sector to make a difference and 59% said it’s a role they love or enjoy
- 81% claimed they feel valued by those they support, though 42% said they were less likely to feel their work was valued by the general public
- 56% of respondents said they’re satisfied with their job, while 35% are dissatisfied
- 65% remarked they feel able to meet the needs of those they care for
- 85% expressed a desire to better their knowledge or skillset and 73% acknowledged the availability of training opportunities
- 47% recommended their organisations as a great place to work
- Social care staff reported higher satisfaction rates compared to other groups, with 59% expressing satisfaction
- 41% of Social care staff were more likely to mention the pay being too low as well as 43% of individuals who worked with children and young people
- 22% of respondents said they were likely to leave their role in the sector in the next 12 months and almost half said they would be likely to leave within the next five years – reasons such as low pay, poor employment or working conditions and feeling overworked were cited as reasons why
‘This is the first time we have carried out this survey and the results show that the workforce in Scotland is committed to making a real difference to people’s lives,’ Maree Allison, chief executive of SSSC said. ‘I’m reassured to hear that many people feel valued for the work they do, and the survey has given us a unique insight into this workforce and their experiences.’
‘It’s important now that we learn from the findings so that people working in this sector feel supported, able to develop their skills and to grow in their careers,’ she added.
‘However, the results also highlight challenges covering a range of topics, including pay and conditions with half of those on hourly rates telling us they are finding it more difficult to manage financially than this time last year. And there are significant differences in experiences overall depending on whether people work in social work, social care or children and young people services.’
The results of the study, which was created in alongside Progressive Partnership and the Scottish Government, can be accessed in full here.
Photo by Garvit Nama via UnSplash
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