Stepping Stones to Better Working Conditions
BASW and SWU provide an update on activities focused on helping people stay, survive and thrive in social work.
SWU and BASW organised a webinar on 2nd November on ‘Stepping Stones’ to better working conditions. Chaired by BASW CEO Ruth Allen, the webinar presented the real-life experiences of social workers who had experienced a range of work stresses and pressures, and the routes they found to tackle poor working environments and treatment, be assertive about their particular support needs or protected characteristics, attend better to their own self-care and wellbeing, and how they used services such as the BASW SWU Advice and Representation Service. Watch the webinar here.
On the same day, Ruth also spoke at the National Children and Adults Social Care Conference in England on the topic of ‘Beyond the Great Resignation’ – retaining and recruiting experienced staff. Picking up on the widespread concern of employers and peers that experienced staff are leaving social work roles in high numbers and cannot easily be replaced, the session also involved the Chief Social Worker for Adults in England, Association of Directors of Adults Social Services, the Principal Social Workers Network and Skills for Care. Across all these organisations there was much common understanding that employers need to maximise improvement in things they can change that make it more possible for people to stay. This include things such as organisational culture, flexibility of working arrangements, management skill, self-care support and career development. On those matters that are outside the organisation, they need to act together with other sector leaders to influence external factors, such as how some locum agencies operate, the huge problem national funding, working with universities to ensure supply of great new social workers, and recognising professional body and trade union membership as a positive for retention and support to thrive in the workplace.
Ruth Allen said:
"It was gratifying to hear many conversations about workplace wellbeing and the onus on employers to create better working conditions as part of the solution to recruitment and retention difficulties that are at crisis point in many local authorities in England at the moment. There are many external factors and causes, but as we discussed in both the webinar and the conference session, there are many things employers and senior leaders can improve – and listening to staff is a key starting point, seeing the organisation through their eyes is crucial. For instance recognising that ‘Gen X and Gen Z’ young people may have very different ideas about what they expect from working life, and enabling people to have flexible working hours or time off for recovery and rebalancing - and perhaps return to work - may be better long term change that continuing with models of ’37.5 hr full time contract or nothing’. These are very tough times and money is at the root of a lot of the problems, but employers and other organisations like BASW also need to work together to modernise, use the research evidence and help create the sustainable roles and support arrangements for future social work."