Article can be found here
Social workers take more sick days than any other public service professionals
Not overly negative for a change... although I imagine once the comments get going that may change.
Its been a long hard slog trying to get Journalists interested. I've been at it since 2001 and even had an event ' Believe in me' at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre on 25 Sept 2008 paid by myself to get us all together but only one very loyal ex BBC editor came along.
Community care told me that they didn't come to such events and then later started ' Stand up for social work' !!
Yep a long hard slog where at times I've thought why do I bother
But there's something that says that I must go on
I don't want to work in a negative world and so have held out the Olive branch on a number of occasions including to Deidre Sanders who I met in August 2009.
Fortunately the impact of my support model AERO has given me the strength to carry on and to 'get over' rejections eg from Community care.
I'm not being so proactive these days with Journos these days but am always happy to tak to any and my Headteacher is always pleased to see them at school.
I think 8 years is enough plus the mass amount of own money spent attending conferences MECSSA included [ mind you they have the best lunches]
Now AERO takes my lead and is very exciting with Gill Davis [ taking lead on Projection AERO] pitching soon at http://www.good-dealsuk.com/
She has 60 secs dragons den style which will be filmed at lunchtime [ 6 groups] and of these 6 two will be chosen to do a longer pitch.
Hatgirl: Article can be found here Social workers take more sick days than any other public service professionals Not overly negative for a change... although I imagine once the comments get going that may change.
I have followed the statistics in my authority over recent years, and I have spoken to either a Director of Social services and/or Heads of Service in SS.
While it seems to be true that sickness levels in SS and in certain teams within SS can be very high, one explanation can be that Social Services staff can be looking after very sick people with infectious conditions and therefore at certain times of the year sickness levels can be very high. This can also apply to some staff in Education, who pick up infections when all the children have coughs and sneezes.
Councils and local authorities have a duty and responsibility to study these stats and try to take appropriate action to minimise the risks to staff.
Smokey: Hatgirl: Article can be found here Social workers take more sick days than any other public service professionals Not overly negative for a change... although I imagine once the comments get going that may change. I have followed the statistics in my authority over recent years, and I have spoken to either a Director of Social services and/or Heads of Service in SS. While it seems to be true that sickness levels in SS and in certain teams within SS can be very high, one explanation can be that Social Services staff can be looking after very sick people with infectious conditions and therefore at certain times of the year sickness levels can be very high. This can also apply to some staff in Education, who pick up infections when all the children have coughs and sneezes. Councils and local authorities have a duty and responsibility to study these stats and try to take appropriate action to minimise the risks to staff.
with this theory would dr's and nurses not have more sick time than s/w's?
highest sick rates means the most skivers i'm afraid.
titchmagoo: Smokey: Hatgirl: Article can be found here Social workers take more sick days than any other public service professionals Not overly negative for a change... although I imagine once the comments get going that may change. I have followed the statistics in my authority over recent years, and I have spoken to either a Director of Social services and/or Heads of Service in SS. While it seems to be true that sickness levels in SS and in certain teams within SS can be very high, one explanation can be that Social Services staff can be looking after very sick people with infectious conditions and therefore at certain times of the year sickness levels can be very high. This can also apply to some staff in Education, who pick up infections when all the children have coughs and sneezes. Councils and local authorities have a duty and responsibility to study these stats and try to take appropriate action to minimise the risks to staff. highest sick rates means the most skivers i'm afraid.
Evidence for this?
every profession has it's fair share of skivers.
at present s/w's have the worst sick rate and thus the most skivers.
s/w's hare not less prone to skiving than firemen or teachers or policemen.
more sick time = more skivers.
titchmagoo: every profession has it's fair share of skivers. at present s/w's have the worst sick rate and thus the most skivers. s/w's hare not less prone to skiving than firemen or teachers or policemen. more sick time = more skivers.
That's not evidence; it's a circular argument. If you choose to insult our profession, please at least try to come up with some hard facts.
nigel reigate: titchmagoo: every profession has it's fair share of skivers. at present s/w's have the worst sick rate and thus the most skivers. s/w's hare not less prone to skiving than firemen or teachers or policemen. more sick time = more skivers. That's not evidence; it's a circular argument. If you choose to insult our profession, please at least try to come up with some hard facts.
do you think gp's or or nurses are bigger skivers than s/w's?
That's rhetoric, not reasoned argument. Neither you nor I has any idea as to whether SW has more skivers than other professions; we simply don't have any data.
Statistics from a local authority indicate that compared to other directorates field social workers tend to have a high rate of sickness absence.
Smokey: Statistics from a local authority indicate that compared to other directorates field social workers tend to have a high rate of sickness absence.
and as pointed out the most skivers.
As pointed out, there is simply no data on "skivers".
surfer: As pointed out, there is simply no data on "skivers".
so you cannot disprove the theory.
the more sick time in all probability means the most skivers.
do you think other public servants are more likely to be doing more skiving with less sick time than s/w's?
As far as I am aware and in my personal experience we do have a lot of staff taking time off sick in social services but it is not because they are 'skivers', it is because many of them are working 10-12 hour days, under huge amounts of stress - worrying about work when not at work, and extremely run down. This makes them more susceptible to catching any kind of bug which is going around. Then rather than staying at home until they feel better, they come back to work while they are still unwell and never get back to full fitness before catching the next thing.
Generally speaking most areas are either understaffed or only just at a decent staffing level, therefore you know that there is nobody to do your work whilst you are not there and if you have an adult protection case or acute mental health case etc and you know that if you don't go in things will escalate, you drag yourself in however, you are feeling.
The only time I go off sick is when I cannot physically get out of bed.
skirmish: As far as I am aware and in my personal experience we do have a lot of staff taking time off sick in social services but it is not because they are 'skivers', it is because many of them are working 10-12 hour days, under huge amounts of stress - worrying about work when not at work, and extremely run down. This makes them more susceptible to catching any kind of bug which is going around. Then rather than staying at home until they feel better, they come back to work while they are still unwell and never get back to full fitness before catching the next thing. Generally speaking most areas are either understaffed or only just at a decent staffing level, therefore you know that there is nobody to do your work whilst you are not there and if you have an adult protection case or acute mental health case etc and you know that if you don't go in things will escalate, you drag yourself in however, you are feeling. The only time I go off sick is when I cannot physically get out of bed.
so from that i take it you feeel that s/w's do not skive off sick and the problem with skiving in public sector workers is in teacheing, the police, fire service etc. despite the fact that s'w's have the most sick time?
titchmagoo, you have consistently failed to come up with any evidence to support your asinine prejudices. Maybe you'd get support if you posted this nonsense on the Daily Mail website?
skirmish: it is because many of them are working 10-12 hour days, under huge amounts of stress - worrying about work when not at work, and extremely run down. This makes them more susceptible to catching any kind of bug which is going around.
but this applies even more so to medical staff working in hospitals,clinics and suregeries yet they still have less sick time. how do you make sene of that?
nigel reigate: titchmagoo, you have consistently failed to come up with any evidence to support your asinine prejudices. Maybe you'd get support if you posted this nonsense on the Daily Mail website?
there has been a consistent failing to say why s/w's take more sick time than other public servants?
there has been a consistent failing to why if s/w's have the most sick time that they then are not on the skive as much as other public servants.
other public ervants have as difficult jobs, if not more difficult than s/w's.
now, the article was pointless enough but what irritates me is this attitude of 'it is'nt us it's someone else' which ignores the issue and is insulting to other public servants.
we all know that s/w's, nurses, policemen etc skive off on sick time yet some how the most sick time = less skiving than other public ervants.
it is a flawed mindset to have, it's a bit kinda 'deflect and deny'.
these issues will never be resolved if pretend they are not eevn there.
rant over.
titchmagoo: surfer: As pointed out, there is simply no data on "skivers". so you cannot disprove the theory. the more sick time in all probability means the most skivers. do you think other public servants are more likely to be doing more skiving with less sick time than s/w's?
Its not up to me to disprove your theory. You put it forward, you have to justify it. So far you have produced much rhetoric and no data. Produce some facts and your theory will be taken seriously, but not until.
The basic facts and statistics are that when you look at days lost in sick absence in local authorities,
Social work teams do have the highest days lost in sich absence.
Is there any evidence that some local autorities are tackling this problem effectively and reducing the number of days lost.
surfer: titchmagoo: surfer: As pointed out, there is simply no data on "skivers". so you cannot disprove the theory. the more sick time in all probability means the most skivers. do you think other public servants are more likely to be doing more skiving with less sick time than s/w's? Its not up to me to disprove your theory. You put it forward, you have to justify it. So far you have produced much rhetoric and no data. Produce some facts and your theory will be taken seriously, but not until.
i'm afraid then we just have tun with the fact that it is bleeding obvious that s/w's skive off more than other public servants.
stop burying your heads in the sand colleagues.
Facts titchmagoo, please. Rhetoric is rhetoric. Facts are facts. Lets have some facts please. All you have given us so far is rant, speculation and opinion, but no facts!
If you work for a local authority, go to the council web site and search for Employee absence statistics. Or just pick the name of a local authority at random, and search for their quarterly sickness absence statistics. www.birmingham.gov.uk www.liverpool.gov.uk www.doncaster.gov.uk www.haringey.gov.uk Then come back and tell us what conclusions you draw.
Conclusion: there is no data about Social Workers (or anybody else) who take days off sick when they are not sick.
surfer: Conclusion: there is no data about Social Workers (or anybody else) who take days off sick when they are not sick.
but we know people go on the skive.
But not whether SWs are worse, better or the same as any other group when it comes to skiving.
it's safe conclusion to reach that the sector with the most sick time has the most skivers.
Its not a "safe conclusion" at all - its a wild assumption based on ........ no facts!
it seems pretty safe to me.
titchmagoo: it seems pretty safe to me.
Hmmm. Its not really though is it?? If as a profession it attracts people prone to skiving as you suggest (and how else do they congregate in social work; something in the training) it might equally be said to attract people who happen to have poor immune systems. Or migraine suffers. Or happen to have a disproportionate number of bad backs. Or.... Thats not logical or evidence based, its just your opinion, and I for one discount it.
Im going to suggest, without a shred of evidence, and equally validly, that its because social work as a profession attracts a disproportionate number of people who happen to have a morbid fear of making right turns in their cars. Whenever they leave the house for work they turn left, left again.... and eventually end up at home, ringing in sick. Terrible psychological condition, hard to treat.
Prove it isnt the case.
most sick time = most skivers.
a fair and reasonable assumption.
Article can be found here Social workers take more sick days than any other public service professionals highest sick rates means the most skivers i'm afraid.
really? perhaps the real reason is the extremely stressful job that we do. I for one am affected by stress in different ways, my immune system is rubbish, therefore I pick up most bugs/viruses going. Stress also causes me to flare out in psoriossis (sp) gives me migraines, boils, dental pain I could go on.....
you'll always get skivers no matter what job you do
Although this is purely supposition, I think it's down to a few people being on long-term sick leave rather than lots of people skivving the odd day here and there. I don't think I've ever worked in a team where there hasn't been someone off or just back from long-term sick. I don't know if this is particular to social work - I would again suspect that links between poor supervision and poor man-management or people feeling too guilty to take time off when they actually need it or feeling stressed before and after holiday periods due to the fillips of work-load that lead to more serious problems in the longer term and more sick leave to get back to work 'recovered'.
jelly_tot04: Article can be found here Social workers take more sick days than any other public service professionals highest sick rates means the most skivers i'm afraid. really? perhaps the real reason is the extremely stressful job that we do. I for one am affected by stress in different ways, my immune system is rubbish, therefore I pick up most bugs/viruses going. Stress also causes me to flare out in psoriossis (sp) gives me migraines, boils, dental pain I could go on..... you'll always get skivers no matter what job you do
oh come off it, s/w is no more stres, sorry, anxiety provoking than taeching, nursing, gp's, police etc. and s/w is no more affected by long term sickness than the proffrsions already noted.
it is a fair and reasonable conclusion to reach that the public service with the most sick time will have the most skivers in theiir ranks.
i'm not sure whay folks are so reluctant to see the link.
titchmagoo: jelly_tot04: Article can be found here Social workers take more sick days than any other public service professionals highest sick rates means the most skivers i'm afraid. really? perhaps the real reason is the extremely stressful job that we do. I for one am affected by stress in different ways, my immune system is rubbish, therefore I pick up most bugs/viruses going. Stress also causes me to flare out in psoriossis (sp) gives me migraines, boils, dental pain I could go on..... you'll always get skivers no matter what job you do oh come off it, s/w is no more stres, sorry, anxiety provoking than taeching, nursing, gp's, police etc. and s/w is no more affected by long term sickness than the proffrsions already noted. it is a fair and reasonable conclusion to reach that the public service with the most sick time will have the most skivers in theiir ranks. i'm not sure whay folks are so reluctant to see the link.
Difference being health staff have zero tolerance against abuse. GP's throw your off their list if you're abusive, you are ejected from teh premises if you're abusive to nurses/hospital staff, police speak for themselves, teachers exclude pupils for aggressive behaviour yet us mere mortal social workers have to endure it day in day out. For eg where else would you get someone supervising a contact with a violent/aggressive person? hhmmm I can't think of many
Teachers work 9-3 and have how many weeks off annual leave? police work so many on and so many off, GP's work for a few hours in the morning and then again in the afternoon, nurses & hospital GP's work long hours but they dont have to work with aggressive people day in day out like we do
Then you wonder why SW has a high sickness record
I'm not sure why you fail to look at the bigger picture
jelly_tot04: titchmagoo: jelly_tot04: Article can be found here Social workers take more sick days than any other public service professionals highest sick rates means the most skivers i'm afraid. really? perhaps the real reason is the extremely stressful job that we do. I for one am affected by stress in different ways, my immune system is rubbish, therefore I pick up most bugs/viruses going. Stress also causes me to flare out in psoriossis (sp) gives me migraines, boils, dental pain I could go on..... you'll always get skivers no matter what job you do oh come off it, s/w is no more stres, sorry, anxiety provoking than taeching, nursing, gp's, police etc. and s/w is no more affected by long term sickness than the proffrsions already noted. it is a fair and reasonable conclusion to reach that the public service with the most sick time will have the most skivers in theiir ranks. i'm not sure whay folks are so reluctant to see the link. Difference being health staff have zero tolerance against abuse. GP's throw your off their list if you're abusive, you are ejected from teh premises if you're abusive to nurses/hospital staff, police speak for themselves, teachers exclude pupils for aggressive behaviour yet us mere mortal social workers have to endure it day in day out. For eg where else would you get someone supervising a contact with a violent/aggressive person? hhmmm I can't think of many Teachers work 9-3 and have how many weeks off annual leave? police work so many on and so many off, GP's work for a few hours in the morning and then again in the afternoon, nurses & hospital GP's work long hours but they dont have to work with aggressive people day in day out like we do Then you wonder why SW has a high sickness record I'm not sure why you fail to look at the bigger picture
1. your job is not more difficult than a nurses, teachers, cops or gp's.
2. i don't know what kind of team you work in that tolerates aggression.
3. i take you've never been in a and e when the pubs close?
titchmagoo: most sick time = most skivers. a fair and reasonable assumption.
Most sick time= psychologically unable to make right turns on the way to work.
A fair and reasonable assumption.
How can local authorities reduce the number of sick days being taken by some social workers?
Would it be possible to change the conditions of service. If individual local authority employees, after warnings, take more than say 20 days sick in a 12 month period, then they forfeit entitlement to sick pay.
it is pretty obvious that the profession with the most sick time has the most skivers.
titchmagoo: it is pretty obvious that the profession with the most sick time has the most skivers.
See, you remind me of John Cleese in that Monty Python sketch. We all came looking for an argument, and you just brought contradiction. Which, despite what people say, is like smoking, in that it makes you look neither big nor clever.