Workloads pushing staff out of jobs

Excessive workloads are the most important reason social workers
consider moving jobs, an exclusive workforce survey by Community
Care has revealed.

More than one-third of social workers and senior social workers
said workload pressure was the reason they were looking for a new
job. A similar number of area managers and department heads also
identified workload as a reason for job-hunting, although only 15
per cent of directors cited it as a factor.

The survey also reveals that workload pressure increases with
length of service: 42 per cent of respondents with more than 11
years’ experience said it was a factor, compared with 17 per
cent of those with less than a year’s experience. This jumps
to 28 per cent after two years.

The survey of 1,665 staff in local authorities, the health
service, voluntary organisations and the private sector highlights
paperwork, inadequate resources and poor potential for career
development as the other reasons for changing jobs. One in five
said poor pay was a factor.

Despite the findings, just one in five social workers were
actively seeking a new job, most preferring to “keep an
eye” on developments.

More information