Working Conditions and Wellbeing survey: Share your views & experiences

New survey from SWU/BASW/Bath Spa University

** Take the survey **

Social workers play a vital role in the lives of people needing support across the UK. However, working conditions for social workers have been highly variable and often inadequate to support such vital work. 

We are keenly aware of the impact of working conditions on social workers.

You may well be aware in 2018 and 2019 we ran a Working Conditions survey and demonstrated the importance and key elements of supporting social workers better. We ran a campaign, had impact in the Houses or Lords and Parliament, and developed a national working conditions toolkit specifically designed to support working conditions in social work. The research has been impactful across the sector and there is much more action and concern now about the challenge of improving social worker working conditions. 

However, Covid has meant that things have changed significantly and, in many ways, become more challenging over the last couple of years. We are therefore asking you to complete an updated Social Work Working Conditions and Wellbeing survey.

It takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and will ask about your working conditions, wellbeing, and some questions and you and your job. From the results we will be able to compare national aggregated results with those in 2018 and 2019, and look at where we now need to focus our support for social workers. Please see below a link to the survey, and if you have any questions ask Prof Jermaine M Ravalier ( j.ravalier@bathspa.ac.uk).

** Take the survey **

John McGowan, SWU General Secretary, said: "The 2022 Bath Spa/SWU/BASW Social Work - Working Conditions and Wellbeing survey is a terrific opportunity to look once more at the working conditions in social work now – and how they have changed since 2018 and 2019, when we last conducted this survey together.

"Social work intervention can greatly improve the quality of life and opportunities for the children, families, adults and communities we support 24/7. However, it is fair to say that unless the pressures we are under are addressed we will not be able to reach the very people who need our service and support."