Social workers are quitting the profession because they are being forced to work from home, research has found.
A survey found that working from home was one of the top four reasons cited by social workers who said they were planning to leave the profession in the next three years.
It was the highest ranked concern behind already well-known challenges such as the demands of filling out paperwork, staff shortages and the pressures of heavy workloads.
After Covid regulations required working from home, the practice has continued for many social workers. Many authorities have closed local offices as part of cost-saving cuts, forcing more staff to work from home and hot-desk when in the office.
Social workers told the researchers they felt increased isolation as a result of working from home, as well as reporting difficulties in reaching colleagues or managers for support, and an absence of the team camaraderie found in an office.
Damaging for new recruits
They also warned that working from home was damaging for junior staff or new recruits who would benefit from working alongside more experienced colleagues.
“Because of the emotionally demanding nature of their work, newly qualified social workers need a supportive team environment which can be hard to create in virtual environments,” said Dr Andy Pulman, one of the researchers at Bournemouth University.
“During this study we heard about a lack of mentorship amongst some new entrants who might be left to fend for themselves after joining.”
Hot-desking also drew negative comments. Lee-Ann Fenge, the professor in social care at Bournemouth University and the lead researcher, said: “Social workers have to deal with incredibly difficult and demanding situations – whether dealing with people requiring urgent intervention due to risk of abuse or providing complex packages of support to enable people to remain safely at home.
“This means it is extremely important to have support from their peers and a safe space for reflection with their supervisors. The fragmented nature of hot-desking and hybrid working can make this very difficult.”
‘They feel a bit isolated’
One newly qualified social worker told the researchers: “Since Covid, obviously, a lot of our buildings have closed.
“That’s had a huge impact, because of mobile working. And people don’t feel like the team is together any more. We’re not, you know, they’re not there for each other. They feel a bit isolated.”
Another said: “When I used to work in the office, I could drive home and ‘whoosh’ refresh, you know and … let the work go and be left behind, whereas when you’re working from home, the memories are within your home environment of what you’re discussing with people, and actually it’s contaminating.”
A third said: “Personally, it’s been a real negative. I live on my own. Like now, I’ve just been given a job, so I’m here alone in my kitchen…and I’ll set an assessment up and I’ll go and see this [client] and then I’ll come home…and that’s my day. I don’t see any colleague.”
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