BASW unveils 2025 annual State of Social Work survey report

Over 1000 social workers, educators and students tell us their biggest challenges and what needs to change in social work

BASW is proud to reveal the results of our annual survey of social workers. The State of Social Work 2025 summary report contains the main findings of the survey that was launched at the beginning of this year, fielding questions looking back at 2025. It is available to download in full below.

BASW State of Social Work Summary Report (10.50 MB)

Key Findings

55.21% of respondents identified access to resources for the people they work with as one of the biggest challenges they face in the workplace
Funding of social care was selected by 73.64% of respondents as one of the biggest challenges facing the profession, up from 62.22% in 2023
57.79% of respondents report not being able to complete all their work during their contracted hours, slightly down from 64.61% in 2023
36.69% reported having experienced bullying, harassment and/or discrimination in the past 12 months, or were aware of someone that had
47.55% of respondents say peer support has a positive impact on their workplace; 40.69% say training and learning opportunities have a positive impact – an increase from 26.58% in 2023
40% of respondents identified training and learning opportunities as one of the three most important factors having a positive impact on their current or most recent workplace
36% chose positive management and supervision as having a positive impact on their current or most recent workplace

These findings take the form of descriptive statistics calculated based on the responses of all those who responded to the survey.

Many questions were the same as previous surveys in order to build up a picture of how particular themes – such as caseloads, bullying and work pressures – compare year-on-year.

Significant risk due to inadequate funding, say social workers

Social workers across the profession, from children and families social workers to practitioners specialising in adults, learning disabilities and older people, showed the depth in feeling about what poor funding levels, especially in early help, will mean for the vulnerable people they work with.

For example, one social worker commented: “Social workers can only work with the resources they have at their disposal, and I don’t have enough to help the people I work with. The profession needs more respect, more funding and [be] recognised that social care is not a poor relative of the NHS.”

Findings strengthen BASW's hand with decision-makers

BASW Interim CEO, Professor Sam Baron is adamant that the findings represent a golden opportunity to press UK and devolved governments to commit to more funding, resources and respect for social workers.

It follows other high profile campaign wins that BASW has recently enjoyed at Ministerial levels, including an improved tax-free mileage rate for social workers, a review into social work student bursary support in England, scrapping of the two-child limit, establishment of the National Social Work Agency in Scotland, and the removal of private profit from children's social care in Wales.

Professor Baron commented: “What our survey findings clearly emphasise is the pressing need for social care policy reform to kick up a gear, something that has been delayed by successive governments at Westminster and elsewhere.

“BASW remains focused on building strong relationships with government departments and ministers in all UK nations to deliver the reforms we need in social work, social care and wider society."

Shocking findings about workplace bullying, harassment and discrimination

Other areas of the survey focused more on what is required within the sector to improve the daily working lives of social workers, with bullying once again being a strong response.

Over one-third of respondents (37%) reported that they had experienced bullying, harassment and/or discrimination or were aware of someone who had. In consecutive surveys the proportion of respondents has hovered repeatedly around the two-fifths mark, between 36 and 43%, suggesting the sector still isn’t challenging these behaviours.

“It is clear from not just this survey, but our previous surveys too, that the sector isn’t tackling the scourge of bullying and discrimination enough. Our Advice and Representation team is taking an increasing number of calls from stressed social workers who are reporting these issues, and frankly it is unacceptable,” said Baron.

“BASW will be seeking answers from local authority leaders and each of the nation regulators, in a collaborative effort to see how we can stop the behaviours that are leading to good social workers leaving the profession.”