Social care staff are going back on strike over being asked to carry out what they see as social work tasks without commensurate pay.
The approximately 200 practitioners, represented by UNISON, staged a walkout over four days last month in their dispute with Lancashire council.
They will now stage another strike from Friday (9 August) until Tuesday (13 August), in pursuit of their objective of having their roles regraded, something they first raised two years ago.
Their roles involve carrying out assessments and arranging and reviewing care packages for adults in the county.
‘From assisting to replacing social workers’
According to UNISON, their caseloads have grown more complex in response to social worker shortages, requiring them to support survivors of domestic abuse, victims of sexual exploitation and people going through periods of serious self-neglect.
They are employed on grade 6 of the council’s salary scale but believe they should be on grade 7 – where staff are paid up to £4,200 more per year – because of the nature of their responsibilities.
Social care support worker Tracey said: “After years of being taken advantage of, my colleagues and I are now expected to perform tasks once reserved for much better-paid social workers. We used to assist social workers but now we’re expected to replace them.”
‘Frustrated’ staff feel ‘compelled’ to strike
UNISON North West regional organiser James Rupa said: “The council has taken advantage of their expertise and good nature, effectively obtaining social work services on the cheap.
“Rather than addressing the workers’ fair request for a role regrading, the council continues to ignore their concerns. Frustrated staff are leaving for better-paid positions, and those who remain feel compelled to take action.”
In response, a council spokesperson said the strike was “discontinuous”, meaning it would be unlikely to cover all five days but that staff could take action on any of these days.
Council ‘seeking to reach positive resolution’
The spokesperson added: “Robust contingency arrangements are in place to ensure business continuity and to ensure that Lancashire residents are not adversely affected should strike action occur.
“We had started an appeals process linked to the regrading applications from a group of our social care support officers (SCSOs) in which SCSOs and the trade union have been fully involved. However, the trade union, alongside the SCSOs’ organising committee, has taken the decision to suspend their involvement with the appeals process.
“The county council is committed to the appeals process and are continuing to work with our staff and the trade union to reach a positive resolution to the ongoing dispute.”
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All of the above is happening in Knowsley council too
To be honest Local Authorities are taking the micky. Again continuing to rely on the goodwill of workers as they have done so for many, many years. For goodwill read continued “exploitation” of workers.
I’m just glad social care workers are starting to wake up. Hopefully social workers will soon too…
A few of my colleagues are social care workers and I’ve advised them not to do several pieces of work as they’re not paid or qualified to do so. I told them the LA wouldn’t think a second before throwing them under a bus if a legal challenge appeared.
This is happening because social workers are leaving in droves and the LA expect other staff to pick up the slack instead of hiring and finding ways to keep staff. They’re ripping the arse out of it.
I remember starting as a social worker and I was given almost 40 cases within 4 weeks, as a NQSW. I’ve only been in the profession 4 years and I’m already burnt out, had a big leave of sickness, and I am now actively seeking to leave the profession. I’ve had as many as 65 allocated cases recently. It is not sustainable.
I’m a social work assistant and I have a case load of 36. I have had 40+ previously. We are also expected to do a social work role but now more frustratingly is the increase of complex mental health cases being given to us without significant mental health training to deal with these situations It is mentally draining.
Social Workers and Social Care Workers needs to stand up against the exploitation they experience at the hands of their managers otherwise there will be no significant changes. Taking advantage of goodwill is exploitation.
Over the past two years or so Education and Hospital staff have taken industrial action to improve their pay and working conditions with some positive outcomes. To achieve the same it is expected that GPs will “work to rule”.
What on earth have I run up £60000 worth of debt for? I could just have become an unqualified care manager and get the same pay
I agree and it’s only ever the social care support officers that strike while the social workers carry on regardless. It’s always been said that there’s a shortage of social workers, but there really isn’t. Another myth along with scsos case loads are as complex as that of a social workers 😠. Rubbish
Do you have any evidence to back up your claim? There is a MASSIVE shortage of qualifier social workers in our local Authority, as there is up and down the country. Just take a look at vacancy rates as reported regularly by Community Care. You cannot run a service with only newly qualified staff, a real mix is needed of staff with expérience, young and old and a diversité of backgrounds. Please check out your facts before posting again!
Please check out your facts. There are about 8 social work job vacancies on the local authority website across the whole of the county. Hardly shows a MASSIVE demand or high vacancy rates
I am talking about across the country – not just within the confinés of your LA. Please do check the facts out yourself they speak for themselves. This is a national issue that needs addressing and I applaud those workers in your area who are speaking up!
I totally agree. Social workers carry on working regardless whilst Social care support offers are out on strike again. Two other myths are that they are doing the same complex work as social workers, which they aren’t. Also there isn’t a shortage of social workers as keeps getting reported. Get on with it. I thought we were all in it together. Iam still paying back a student loan they are not
Dear SD, Sue and KO,
This should not be happening. It’s unsafe for yourselves and for those vulnerable children/adults you have a duty towards. This has been exactly part of the argument rightly raised by education and health professionals for the industrial actions they have taken.
Is “social care profession” even a recognised registered profession in the UK?
I agree. Still paying off student loans. Social workers are in work whilst the strikes are on, with even more work to do now. The work social workers do is a lot more complex, for instance scsos don’t do court work. There isn’t a shortage of social workers that a myth. Maybe stop employing people who only want to do the work they choose to do and give more newly qualified social workers an opportunity to start on their career path.
If you don’t have a budget to employ SW then you are always going to look at the workforce you have.
I agree that this is not right .
I also feel we should be supportive of all colleagues and work together .
I also feel that all employees in social care should have a recognised qualification which your employer should sponsor in your first two years and yes your pay should go up.
Myself , I didn’t come into to SW for the pay but we should always be all treated fairly and equitably .