Social workers lack time to work with children

Nearly four in 10 social workers do not feel they have sufficient time to work effectively with children and young people, a survey by Ofsted has found.

The study was undertaken as part the High Expectations, High Support and High Challenge report, which examined how frontline social workers can be supported to provide better protection for vulnerable children.

More than 500 social workers were questioned for the study and out of 449 respondents, 38 per cent did not agree that they had enough time to effectively work with children and young people or support staff that they manage, compared to 18 per cent who did.

However, 53 per cent said they received regular, dedicated time for supervision and review with their line manager, compared to just eight per cent who did not.

A further 63 per cent said they felt there was appropriate challenge from partner agencies when they make decisions about children and young people.

John Goldup, deputy chief inspector at Ofsted, said: “Social workers do an incredibly difficult job, often in very stressful circumstances. I hope this report will provide valuable insight into the best ways of supporting these frontline staff in their roles as they work to improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable children.”

A further questionnaire of social work managers revealed that out of nearly 150 managers, more than a quarter (27 per cent) did not believe there were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff in their team to meet the needs of children and young people.

However, nearly 60 per cent felt their local authority was open to new ways of working and also believed their colleagues provide professional support for each other