Below inflation pay rise for social workers and social work England fees to rise to £120

[forgodssakes]

How are they getting away with this? The sector is in a recruitment crisis and services are stretched as it is, how can they continue to expect people to work under these conditions? 3.2% is pathetic compared to what nurses and teachers have been awarded. I expect that more people will leave the sector and social workers will continue to be criticised when things go wrong despite working under unworkable conditions and unsustainable caseloads. What can we do about this?

I became a senior social worker after 4 years post qualifying.
I'd worked 5 years in social care with young people before I started the degree, therefore 12 years of practice Inc study before I took a senior post!
If it wasn't for the shortages I'd say bring back minimum age of 25 and with lots of experience before doing the qualification.

I apologise, after 4 years.

What on earth is this nasty post about? Domiciliary carers should be paid more, but they aren't social workers.

If that’s correct (and I’m not saying it isn’t) where do the Managers come from ? The Management Fairy ?

Are you just bitter that it took you longer to earn £37k?!

What are you even on about?

It didn’t and I’m definitely not bitter, but think what you want to think.

You worked in rough areas.Do you think the SWs we are talking about work in 'leafy suburbs'?

Yes they can be, as you say private sector is a big area. And also equivalent to similar responsibility public sector jobs - teachers reach £37k at 3 years. Nurses however don’t reach that until 4 years. £37k really isn’t a bad salary.

Why is it nasty?

I'm a qualified social worker but what I used to do was not social work...it was case management!

Read 'becoming a social worker' by Cree and in there you'll real stories from people practicing as proper, on the ground social workers.

Most people think being a SW is the good stuff...the direct work, seeing outcomes being part of that. The reality case management and managing risk .....
I used to interview prospective student SWs. Bless them...so many wanted to 'make a difference '...placements were often a huge shock as to the reality of the role.

Also the title social worker is a protected title now. I was called a residential social worker back in the 1990s with zero experience but what we did was hands on social work!

There isn't a massive shortage of nurses though. I know so many who are really struggling to find their first jobs. Same with physios.
As for junior Drs, their recruitment situation is appalling.
A few short years ago our local Trust was sending medical consultants and HR officials over to India on jollies and recruiting 40 nurses per trip. Now there are no jobs left for those qualifying. Typical NHS mismanagement. No foresight, no long term vision.

The whole of the public services seem to be being downgraded. I sympathise with social workers, it's a thankless job and I couldn't do it. However to get annoyed because nurses and teachers got a slightly better pay award is so churlish. They are struggling too.

Really considering moving to something self employed soon. My dog walker earns more than me as a HCP.

Honestly, I don't actually disagree, but the question of whether it's an adequate salary is a red herring and not what the OP was cross about. The below inflation pay rise is the issue.

I doubt any social worker would want nurses and teachers to get less, or begrudge them their pay rise. It's the disparity that's galling.

Not necessarily, there are social workers everywhere- even in (shock/horror) very middle class areas! My only point was that (and it seems to have annoyed a lot of people- presumably mostly inexperienced social workers) is that three years is not long in any career and that 37k is a very reasonable starting salary for a social worker as it would be for a teacher.

Seems a little unfair to bring nurses into it, about 50% of all nursing jobs are band 5 which even with the 3.6% pay rise will max out at 37k (with 5 years experience minimum) and many of them are in roles where they're not only responsible for people's health and wellbeing, medication, supporting families and supervision of HCAs but also dealing with legal paperwork, safeguarding issues and significant violence and agression.

Race to the bottom and we all lose.

The state is skint. It can’t afford pay rises. When your employer has no money then you’re not going to get a big pay rise. Obviously part of the reason why the state is skint is the ridiculous rise given to junior doctors who are going on strike for another ludicrous, greedy increase. Don’t blame the state, blame junior doctor’s greed!

You climb up multiple stories of a tower block just to find the person you had an appointment with isn’t there, another multiple flights to be met with a violent partner who assaults you, get yourself to Court where you have to wait before being told your case isn’t going ahead so you have wasted 3-4 hours.

Go back to your office to write up reports and discover you have been allocated five more cases because another colleague has gone on long term sick or resigned. Repeat with variations.

It’s not a race to the bottom.

What don’t you understand?

There isn’t a shortage of nurses now….but there is a staffing shortage. The hospitals just can’t afford to recruit due to budgets. At some point that’s going to have to be sorted and at that point there needs to be qualified staff able to apply.

Applications to most health care degrees have been on a downward slide for a few years. Some places may be filling some courses but the calibre of students may be dropping overall as universities employ a bums on seat approach. Other courses aren’t full. Lecturers are getting made redundant and courses closing. When the pendulum swings too far the other way it takes years to get back to a place where the workforce can be topped up.

the population of the uk is increasing quickly, these people will all need healthcare at some point. We will need more nurses not less.

Not a thing, as it's so contrary to the OP's posts.

You put that so well. Thanks. 👏

That's not what was annoying about your posts, but whatever. I'm not an inexperienced social worker or one with 3 years experience, I've been qualified since 2014 and before that I worked in social care for 10 years. I don't know if you realise this but most social workers don't train straight from school. Almost all newly qualified social workers have a good number of years working in related fields before they train.

I'll have been a SW for 40 years when i retire and my pension forecast is not enough to live on without the state pension and even with that, its not a lot. I'm not sure why people think pub sector pensions are so high? I'd like to know how much a private sector pension is to compare

I know this. I also didn’t train straight from school but worked as a journalist after uni before going in to teaching. I stand by what I said about starting salaries. That doesn’t mean I don’t value the work of social services and know exactly how hard and important it is. I’m sorry that has upset some people but it is how I feel (although my opinion may be more based on inexperienced teachers and projected on to social workers). I’m not one for an argument so I am sorry for those I’ve offended.

Fab post. I always cringe a bit when teachers say they have to 'be social workers as well as teachers' .