Employers are using personalisation as an excuse to cut social workers, warns College of Social Work

Not sure if you've caught this article yet, but the College of Social Work has warned that employers are using personalisation to shed social work jobs.

I know this is something we've discussed before on the forum and in our news coverage but it seems a big deal for the college to come out and say this.

• Filed under: personalisation, College of Social Work

The article says "social work has struggled to define itself as a profession" and I strongly believe therein lies the problem.

 ONLY a doctor is allowed to treat an individual with a serious health condition. ONLY a teacher is allowed to teach a child the national curriculum, ONLY a nurse is allowed to undertake certain invasive procedures.... I'm afraid when it comes to Social Work, we have a system whereby some of the most marginalised, dangerous, disadvantaged, challenging, difficult individuals in society are allowed to be supported by the most untrained and underpaid individuals.

Society would never expect an inexperienced St Johns Ambulance volunteer to perform open heart surgery would we? Yet in the Social Care sector we expect unqualified and inexperienced staff to work with individuals who have abused, harmed & vilolated others. As an example.... To work in a children's secure unit, you do not need any Social Work training or qualifications and will get paid approx £7 an hour for the direct 1:1 work you do with some of the most troubled individuals in Britain.

And despite the low pay and poor training.. many do an absolutely brilliant job.

Until the Social Work sector starts to recognise and reward those working hands on directly and daily with THE most challenging members of society, there will never be a 'knock on effect' to acknowledge the expertise and skills of qualified workers. 

 

Rainbowarch:

The article says "social work has struggled to define itself as a profession" and I strongly believe therein lies the problem.

 ONLY a doctor is allowed to treat an individual with a serious health condition. ONLY a teacher is allowed to teach a child the national curriculum, ONLY a nurse is allowed to undertake certain invasive procedures.... I'm afraid when it comes to Social Work, we have a system whereby some of the most marginalised, dangerous, disadvantaged, challenging, difficult individuals in society are allowed to be supported by the most untrained and underpaid individuals.

Society would never expect an inexperienced St Johns Ambulance volunteer to perform open heart surgery would we? Yet in the Social Care sector we expect unqualified and inexperienced staff to work with individuals who have abused, harmed & vilolated others. As an example.... To work in a children's secure unit, you do not need any Social Work training or qualifications and will get paid approx £7 an hour for the direct 1:1 work you do with some of the most troubled individuals in Britain.

And despite the low pay and poor training.. many do an absolutely brilliant job.

Until the Social Work sector starts to recognise and reward those working hands on directly and daily with THE most challenging members of society, there will never be a 'knock on effect' to acknowledge the expertise and skills of qualified workers. 

 

excellent point that is

I also think that social work is devalued by  people qualifying having never worked in a social work office - this would never happen for teaching nursing doctors - in fact any profession at all really.  What says social work doesnt really matter more than the fact you dont need to have practised as a social worker in order to qualify?!

I'm afraid to say that in the past 10 years I've not met many qualified Social Workers prepared to work weekends, night shifts or split shifts in a challenging behaviour unit, having to manage relentless violent and aggressive behaviour ... even on Social Worker Salaries.

We absolutely need to see many more Social Worker posts with a requirement to work unsociable hours. That's when their skills are really needed. The norm of the 9-5 post is gaining Social Workers no respect whatsoever.

Sounds like you've worked with some inflexible people then! I've always worked long hours, sometimes had to travel considerable distances with the job and with clients, I've worked with clients with challenging behaviour! I've certainly never seen the job as 9-5 as people's lives don't work like that. I've offered early and late appts. I tend not to see clients at the weekend but usually b/c they do not want to see me then, its about being responsive to clients. I have my moblle on until 9pm, after that its off. Clients have never abused my offer to leave the phone on. I've only been called a couple of times and they were for genuine reasons/ distress/ emergency situations. Skills are required at all times of day and night when you are working with and supporting vulnerable clients - not just in the wee small hours! The salary we are paid isn't fantastic but it depends if that what really motivates you? Nurses aren't paid well either and they get hideous abuse especially in A&E.

Ever heard of out of hours teams in social work or emergency duty teams.

I am not available out of hours as my employer does not resource me to do so. Its about meeting needs within available resources.

I usually find that working long hours leads to burn out and disillusionment and should be avoided.

In my experience there are some Social Workers that go the 'extra' but the system has also been set up to allow some to stick to a 9-5. It does happen in some LA's and its about culture and leadership. It probably shows good management support to have a limit placed on the hours work, but it doesn't help the need for formal and effective out of hours support.

I agree also that nurses get abused, but lets not forget residential care / secure unit staff. Over the last few years I have heard of .. serious bites, loss of sight in one eye, broken limbs, burns, sexual assaults. 

And all for not more than £7 an hour?!? Back to my original point...we really do need to sort the system out.

Rainbowarch:

The article says "social work has struggled to define itself as a profession" and I strongly believe therein lies the problem.

 ONLY a doctor is allowed to treat an individual with a serious health condition. ONLY a teacher is allowed to teach a child the national curriculum, ONLY a nurse is allowed to undertake certain invasive procedures.... I'm afraid when it comes to Social Work, we have a system whereby some of the most marginalised, dangerous, disadvantaged, challenging, difficult individuals in society are allowed to be supported by the most untrained and underpaid individuals.

 

The parallels you draw are interesting.  Yes, only a doctor, teacher, nurse et al can do certain things.  But they too are supported by low paid staff who may only have a level 2 qualification, e.g. health care assistants - who do things like draw blood etc!, and in a classroom, teaching assistants.  There are low paid 'support' roles to every profession.