Staff lack support and are over-worked, survey reveals

Nearly half of front-line workers and their managers believe
they are inadequately supported and trained, new findings
reveal.

Only 54 per cent of staff said they receive the support and
training necessary to enable them to perform to the best of their
ability, reveals Recruitment Talk’s sister
publication Community Care in a website survey of more
than 200 social care staff.

Working long hours appears to be the norm. More than 70 per cent
of staff work up to 10 hours extra a week on top of their official
hours. Only one in 10 say they arrive and leave work on time.

Only 46 per cent believe their job would be safe if they blew
the whistle on a colleague.

Racism is also an issue. Seven out of 10 respondents claim they
or their colleagues have been subjected to racist behaviour by
either service users or other members of staff.

Owen Davies, senior national officer for local government at
public sector trade union Unison, said he was not surprised by the
findings in relation to racism, long hours and whistleblowing.

Although some employers recognised the value and benefits of
trade union membership, he said others tried to weaken the unions
“for reasons of either ignorance or malice”.

The survey also shows that one-third of respondents are now
co-located with other professionals, of whom more than
three-quarters say the change has improved joint working. The move
reflects the government’s push for greater integration.