UNISON is warning that social work assistants and support workers are being
used as social workers on the cheap. Findings of a survey* by the UKs largest
union reveals that staff are being exploited routinely, as employers struggle
to cope with budget cuts, social worker shortages, and the rising demand
among children and vulnerable adults.
The survey shows that the boundaries between the work of registered
professional social workers and support staff are, in many places, blurring
into non-existence. Two thirds of respondents say they are regularly given
work with vulnerable children and adults that they don’t feel qualified or
experienced enough to do. Many work alone on complex cases, with social
workers names only going on at the end so the paperwork can be passed.
This leaves assistants feeling out of their depth, and both they and the social
workers may face repercussions if a case goes wrong.
70% of the support staff surveyed said the number of cases they handled had
increased and 79% said the complexity of the cases had risen in the last year.
75% of support staff normally work over and above their contracted week.
More than four in ten earn below £21,000 – the governments definition
of low pay in the public sector. Pay differentials with social workers can be as
much as £10,000.
Half of all respondents have also suffered occasional verbal attacks, 10%
regularly suffer them and a quarter sometimes receive threats.
Helga Pile, UNISONs National Officer for Social Care, said:
Our survey shows that social work assistants and support workers are
seriously struggling to cope with the pressures being piled on them, as
demand continues to grow, while resources are drastically cut.
Staff are very concerned about vulnerable children and adults who rely on
the services. There aren’t enough social workers, so they are under
growing pressure to step into the breach and carry out work they may be
unqualified to do. They end up suffering from excessive bureaucracy, stress
and burn-out – just like social workers.
Support workers and social work assistants have a vital role to play, but
are often used as cheap labour for social workers. Those who wish to become
social workers need continuing support to qualify, yet this cost-effective way
of growing your own social workers is being cut. However, many staff
do not want to become social workers they love their jobs and just want
them to be properly recognised and valued in their own right by employers,
other professionals and the public.
We need proper safeguards in the system to protect assistants and
support workers, social workers – and the people who rely on these vital
services.
Ends
*UNISONs survey Stepping into the breach.
UNISON has been closely involved in government-initiated reform
programmes centred on social work in England, Scotland, Wales, and the
Northern Ireland. UNISON is calling for a proper review of workforce roles as
has happened for teachers and teaching assistants.