Responding to recommendations from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care published today (Monday), UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:
“Heavy caseloads have left many social workers facing burnout. They’re forced to firefight instead of spending quality time improving children’s lives.
“Suggested reforms in this review could make all the difference and will be welcomed by many social work staff.
“Strengthening family support teams would provide the in-depth service families deserve.
“Proposed changes to career development and progression when social workers join the profession – and new specialist posts – could prove game changing. Better pay is vital, but urgent discussions are needed on how to achieve this.
“This report recognises changes to the sector and better services for children and families will only happen with significant additional funding. National government must now step up with the additional cash to put these reforms into action.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union for social workers. It represents workers in many public services including education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy, with more than 1.3 million members. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.