Social Workers Urge Government Action On Mental Health
Social workers have written to health ministers for all four UK nations, urging them to address the UK mental health crisis through measures to better support the profession.
The letters urge each government to:
• Launch a campaign that recognises the hard work of social workers and that promotes the profession as a viable career
• Adopt a common framework in consultation with all four nations, which covers practices, pay and conditions (including housing)
The letters were sent by the Social Workers Union (SWU). SWU claims that scapegoating and negative portrayal of the profession by successive governments has led to significant challenges with recruitment and retention of social workers, with some posts going unfulfilled for more than a year.
A survey of 1,375 current and former social workers by Social Work England last year found that two fifths (41%) said their morale was low, compared to a quarter (24%) of those surveyed in 2020.
Meanwhile, according to the NHS Confederation, neglect of community mental health services and lack of suitable hospital beds is fuelling A&E waits of up to 80 hours for some mental health patients.
SWU adds that investing in community care and frontloading the adult mental healthcare workforce could save the NHS time and money and help to reduce pressure on A&E departments.
The news coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week, from 12-18 May, which this year celebrates the positive communities that support our mental wellbeing.
John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, said:
“All social workers want to do the best they can for the communities they serve. Many believe that the public is fed negative stories about social workers and their failings though, which leads to a negative perception of the profession. It shouldn’t surprise us then that we have major challenges filling vacant roles and a constant stream of hardworking people leaving the sector.
“Our efforts are also being hampered by a lack of funding for community care and increasing demand for suitable hospital beds.
“Each government can play a vital role in helping to make the profession an attractive route for people who want to make a difference in their local communities. We’re also asking them to invest more in community care, which combined will save the NHS money and reduce pressure on our hospitals.”
