85% of social workers were assaulted, harassed or verbally abused in the past year

Community Care's annual violence survey reveals that 70% of attacks and threats towards social workers and social care staff are not investigated

Violence against social workers is still being regarded as “just part of the job” and not being treated seriously, a survey by Community Care has revealed.

In Community Care’s online survey of 446 social workers, 85% said they had been physically assaulted, verbally abused or harassed in the past year. In most cases the abuse was carried out by a service user or service user’s relative.

Social workers reported being threatened with weapons, verbally abused, stabbed, held hostage, harassed in the street and having hot drinks thrown on them. Some had to move house or leave their jobs due to persistent abuse.

A social worker responding to the survey said: “On one occasion, a service user’s son threatened to hunt me down and talked about weapons he could use, all because I was supporting his father in his wish to access respite care.”

One reported four arson attacks to her car after a service user found out where she lived: “I had to give up my home and move,” she told us, while another reported being stabbed on two separate occasions, threatened with a firearm, spat at and punched in his 14 years in the profession.

The survey found that nine out of 10 social workers feel at personal risk at least some of the time, with one in five saying they feel unsafe “often” or “almost all the time” while at work.

But one social worker, who received death threats over the phone from a service user, said: “It’s not taken seriously as it is seen as part of the job.”

This sense that being at risk of violence is part of the job frequently holds social workers back from taking further action. Two thirds of those who did not report incidents to either their employer or the police said it was because they considered abuse as to be expected in their role.

This reluctance to report is made worse by the inadequate response social workers are often met with when they do report incidents of violence.

This summer, a Dundee teenager was let off with a warning for firing an empty BB gun in a social worker’s face and verbally abusing the team manager.

Whilst the majority of social workers who responded to the survey said their employer has a formal policy around violence to their staff, over 70% said they nevertheless took no steps to investigate the incident further when reported.

violence infog2

violence infog3

Annie Hudson, chief executive of The College of Social Work, said that the figures, while concerning, reflect the “risky” nature of social work: “Year-on-year reporting of high levels of violence and abuse may suggest the issue has not been tackled effectively as it needs to be.

“Key to encouraging change is diligent reporting and monitoring of incidents when they occur at a local level, so that patterns of behaviour can be identified and learning and awareness can be improved.”

The lack of appropriate response from employers is of particular concern given over half of social workers surveyed who were victims of violence required time off work, counselling or both. Around a third required medical treatment.

violence infographic1

Part of the problem may be that half of social workers surveyed said they had never received any training on how to cope with violent individuals, despite most being required to enter high risk situations, often alone and without adequate support.

Alan Wood, president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS), said: “Social workers do a difficult job, often in extremely challenging circumstances and they have a vital role in protecting children and young people from harm.

“If they are to fulfil their critically important, statutory, role then need they assurance that they will be protected from assault and abuse and in cases where they experience this unacceptable behaviour appropriate action will be taken by their employer and the police. We cannot protect our children effectively if we do not protect the staff we charge to work with them.”

The British Association of Social Workers, in response to these findings, called for a greater push towards a national framework in which incidents of violence are consistently recorded and dealt with, putting the well-being of the worker as a priority.

violence infog4

Helga Pile, Unison’s national officer for social care said: “These findings show that social workers continue to be exposed to a wholly unacceptable toll of violence and hostility. It is shocking and unacceptable that 1 in 3 social workers have been physically assaulted in the last 12 months. But you also can’t underestimate the effect on morale, well-being and staff retention of the near universal exposure to verbal assaults on a daily basis.

“The findings show a failure on the part of many employers to take prevention seriously, or to respond properly when incidents do happen. This can and does have tragic consequences. A legal case supported by Unison recently showed a complete failure to warn the social worker about a known threat, with horrendous consequences. If nothing else, employers should look urgently at what leaving this issue unchecked is costing them through absences, loss of skilled experienced staff and recruitment costs.”

In the legal case Pile mentioned it was ruled that Durham County Council had failed in its duty of care to protect a social worker from harm. It was known by others in the council that a mentally ill service user delusions had made threats to harm the social worker, but she was not informed of this threat to her safety. The social worker was subsequently attacked with a knife and seriously injured.

Pile said there is a bigger picture that still needs to be looked at in order to improve safety for social workers: “We still do not have mandatory reporting systems, consistent standards or inspection of the fundamentals like risk assessment, information sharing and monitoring.

“The high degree of risk that exists in social care requires a high priority pro-active response from employers, not a shrug of the shoulders that danger is part of the job.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “Violence against front line staff is completely unacceptable and against the law. Employers must make sure staff are protected and know what to do if they experience violent behaviour and can be prosecuted if they fail to do this.

“We have provided guidance that makes it clear what we expect of employers and what staff should do in these situations.”

More from Community Care

5 Responses to 85% of social workers were assaulted, harassed or verbally abused in the past year

  1. Paul Pittam September 17, 2014 at 8:08 pm #

    lengthy ,complicated safety policy if implemented would protect social workers but are often unworkable and bureaucratic. better are team action safety plans which identify specific local risks.
    removing children, depriving liberty are high risk situations when aggression takes place even towards very experienced and senior staff if involved.

  2. Sarah James September 17, 2014 at 10:31 pm #

    I do not believe these statistics. I have been a front line social worker since 1997. I have been shouted at a few times, but nothing that really worried me..When I have been shouted at I have managed to diffuse the situation without a problem. People respect being treated with respect.

    • Planet Autism September 18, 2014 at 7:22 pm #

      “People respect being treated with respect”

      Exactly right.

      People will also always be far more inclined to respect honest, decent social workers who only act in a fair and legal way and understand that the welfare of the child in most cases, relies on them being kept with their own family and all support necessary to enable that should be offered.

      A parent having their child removed (or threatened with) would be harrowing and the impact on the child a highly damaging experience affecting them for life, in the vast majority of cases. Many animals will fight to the death for their offspring, so for intelligent humans who are faced with this, or even with the stress of micro management of their family life or intolerance for atypical but perfectly valid lifestyles, will have some form of reaction.

  3. Janet Baker September 18, 2014 at 3:21 pm #

    My husband has been threatened with a machette, a gun and was locked in a room with an out of control person who smashed everything up whilst the prison officer went for support! He has had major time off work due to a really bad assault. It has affected him in every way.Our family life has been crap.We had to change out car due to his injuries. He no longer participates in family life much, needing the space away from our children. He has changed jobs as he was so frightened by entering the building where he was assualted. People say oh you must have had compensation.No nothing the LA denied any thing. The union didn’t think it worth the effort. If he had worked for another employer he would have had some compensation to help us with the cost of the extras we now need to deal with eg private therapy/ physio. It is a dangerous job if you deal with some people. I often wonder when i will get the phone call to say that’s it he’s in hospital again . My next thought i cant say but you can guess. So lucky you, if you haven’t had any client attacks but please ,dont denegrate those that have . It is not acceptable for any person to be attacked what ever their job. It is not acceptable or part of the social worker job to accept this.

  4. Cathy Roblin September 18, 2014 at 3:25 pm #

    Sarah James I am glad that you have had such positive experience and not been confronted with violence/ harassment/ abuse. However suggesting that these statistcs are wrong is dismissing the experiences that some of our colleagues have been confronted with. You also are on the verge of sounding judgemental as your statement appears to read that those social workers were incompetent in dealing with challenges. Victim blaming is not what social work values are based on.