Social worker well-being: a large mixed-methods study

Ravalier, J.M, McFadden, P, Boichat, C, Clabburn, O and Moriarty, J (2021) 'Social worker well-being: a large mixed-methods study.' The British Journal of Social Work, 51 (1). pp. 297-317.

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaa078

Abstract

Social workers play a vital role in maintaining and improving the lives of the service users that they work with. Despite this, the role is replete with high levels of stress-related sickness absence, turnover intentions and low levels of jobs satisfaction in addition to poor working conditions. This study sought to further investigate working conditions in the UK social workers, as well as the reasons for these working conditions via a mixed-methods survey and interview study. A total of 3,421 responses were gained from the cross-sectional survey which looked at working conditions, perceived stress, job satisfaction and turnover intentions (both migration and attrition), with the semi-structured interview schedule (n = 15) based on survey findings and analysed via thematic analysis continuing through to saturation. Similar to 2018, results demonstrated poor working conditions, irrespective of job role, and regression analysis suggested each of demands, control, managerial support, role and change influenced stress. Qualitative results found that workload, lack of managerial support and service user/family abuse were distinct demands associated with the role, whereas buffering positive resources were the social work role, peer support and positive managerial support. Implications for managerial practice, and harnessing the positive experience of peer support, are discussed.

Item Type: Article
Note:

First published online in August 2020 ahead of its inclusion in a specific issue. It was submitted as an output to REF 2021.

Keywords: mixed methods, stress, well-being, working conditions
Divisions: School of Sciences
Research Centres and Groups: Psychology Research Centre for Health and Cognition
UoA: Psychology
Date Deposited: 02 Jun 2020 14:34
Last Modified: 23 Aug 2022 01:40
ISSN: 0045-3102
URI / Page ID: https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/13231
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