by Roger Kline, trade union officer at Aspect and
author of "What if? Social care professionals and the duty of care"An experienced social worker recently asked me a question I struggled to answer. "Why" he asked, "do people who bully come into social work, when our entire purpose is to assist and empower people, not humiliate and denigrate them?"
It was a good question, and one worth asking again in Anti-Bullying
Week (November 16-20) because bullying is certainly a problem in social
care. The official Labour Force Survey says care staff are the third
most likely group to report bullying at work after teachers and nurses.
That is confirmed by the UK National Workplace Bullying Advice Line
which says that 10% of its cases were from social workers and other
social services employees, its third largest group of callers.
Troubled organisations
Allegations of bullying are common in troubled organisations. In Surrey earlier this year, a highly critical report to councillors by the country's outgoing interim chief executive identified a culture of "blame and bullying" just ahead of the crisis in its social services department. Similarly, in Doncaster, the council was accused by staff of creating a bullying environment in which staff were afraid to highlight concerns.
Such behaviour does not just damage the individual victims of bullying. It damages those who receive services. Those who are bullied are hardly likely to work at their best, never mind inspire and be role models for others.
A bullying environment utterly undermines the "learning organisation" that every social work team should aspire to, where staff can admit, and learn from, their own mistakes and gaps in knowledge, without fearing it will forever be held against them. That is why Para 4.1. of the employers GSCC Code of Practice requires employers to prevent bullying and "Making it clear to social care workers that bullying, harassment or any form of unjustifiable discrimination is not acceptable and taking action to deal with such behaviour."
Health hazzard
A decade ago, research commissioned by the DH demonstrated that a working environment without real teamwork and professional supervision directly damaged clinical outcomes.
Bullying is a health and safety hazard. It is regarded by the Health and Safety Executive as a major cause of stress in the workplace, and is a cause of poor performance and sickness absence
Social care organisations ought to care about their staff. They should have in place policies, procedures and training for management that make it a zero tolerance environment for bullying. The Andrea Adams Trust says, however, that "In organisations that pride themselves on strong management, bullying can soon become part of the organisation's culture and management will be seen by their employees to have condoned such behaviour simply through their inaction."
In organisations stressed by inadequate staffing and resources, and inappropriate performance management, "strong management" easily slides into bullying.
Bullying can be very difficult to prove. Witnesses are often worried about being the bully's next victim. Some bullies genuinely confuse strong management with macho management. When the bully is a manager, it can be too easy to find something wrong with the victim's practice or so undermine their self confidence that they start making mistakes.
Moreover, the legal protection against bullying is poor. Even when linked to racism, sexism, homophobia, or discrimination against disabled staff, bullying can be hard to prove and difficult to challenge.
Practical advice
There is plenty of practical advice around on how to challenge bullying and anyone facing it should make sure they read some of it and take advice from their union representative.
But I still come back to the question I struggled to answer because I've realised it was the wrong question. The right question is not, "why do bullies come into social work?", but "why do their employers tolerate them at all?"
Details of anti-bullying week
Detailed advice on tackling bullying and more here
Troubled organisations
Allegations of bullying are common in troubled organisations. In Surrey earlier this year, a highly critical report to councillors by the country's outgoing interim chief executive identified a culture of "blame and bullying" just ahead of the crisis in its social services department. Similarly, in Doncaster, the council was accused by staff of creating a bullying environment in which staff were afraid to highlight concerns.
Such behaviour does not just damage the individual victims of bullying. It damages those who receive services. Those who are bullied are hardly likely to work at their best, never mind inspire and be role models for others.
A bullying environment utterly undermines the "learning organisation" that every social work team should aspire to, where staff can admit, and learn from, their own mistakes and gaps in knowledge, without fearing it will forever be held against them. That is why Para 4.1. of the employers GSCC Code of Practice requires employers to prevent bullying and "Making it clear to social care workers that bullying, harassment or any form of unjustifiable discrimination is not acceptable and taking action to deal with such behaviour."
Health hazzard
A decade ago, research commissioned by the DH demonstrated that a working environment without real teamwork and professional supervision directly damaged clinical outcomes.
Bullying is a health and safety hazard. It is regarded by the Health and Safety Executive as a major cause of stress in the workplace, and is a cause of poor performance and sickness absence
Social care organisations ought to care about their staff. They should have in place policies, procedures and training for management that make it a zero tolerance environment for bullying. The Andrea Adams Trust says, however, that "In organisations that pride themselves on strong management, bullying can soon become part of the organisation's culture and management will be seen by their employees to have condoned such behaviour simply through their inaction."
In organisations stressed by inadequate staffing and resources, and inappropriate performance management, "strong management" easily slides into bullying.
Bullying can be very difficult to prove. Witnesses are often worried about being the bully's next victim. Some bullies genuinely confuse strong management with macho management. When the bully is a manager, it can be too easy to find something wrong with the victim's practice or so undermine their self confidence that they start making mistakes.
Moreover, the legal protection against bullying is poor. Even when linked to racism, sexism, homophobia, or discrimination against disabled staff, bullying can be hard to prove and difficult to challenge.
Practical advice
There is plenty of practical advice around on how to challenge bullying and anyone facing it should make sure they read some of it and take advice from their union representative.
But I still come back to the question I struggled to answer because I've realised it was the wrong question. The right question is not, "why do bullies come into social work?", but "why do their employers tolerate them at all?"
Details of anti-bullying week
Detailed advice on tackling bullying and more here
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