New research shows the importance of addressing unhelpful perceptions of social work

Social Work England – the specialist regulator for social workers in England – has today released 2 new pieces of research about how social work is perceived in society, and how social workers feel about their profession.

The reports provide a snapshot into the social work profession in 2023 and look at the role of social work in society, what motivates people to become a social worker, challenges that employers are facing, and why some people are leaving the profession.

The findings show 74% of adults believe that social workers want the best for the people they work with, even though many felt that social workers were only talked about in public, such as in the news, when mistakes were made.

Colum Conway, Chief Executive at Social Work England, said:

“We are committed to continually working to better understand the complex landscape of social work practice and the perceptions held by the public. Promoting confidence in the profession is one of our strategic aims as a regulator and this research helps us to build a more comprehensive picture of how current perceptions can boost and undermine that confidence.

“It’s reassuring to see that members of the public, healthcare professionals, and social workers themselves, think social workers play an essential role in society. Those in training and in practice said that they came to social work because they wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and be fulfilled by a meaningful career.

“Despite this, only 1 in 10 social workers think they are well respected in society, whereas 44% of members of the public reported that social workers were respected. This apparent disconnect is interesting, and it's important to understand why these perceptions of social work exist and if negative stereotypes in the media, TV, and film influence this.”

“Interviewees associated terms such as empathetic, trustworthy, accountable, and honest with the social work profession, alongside terms such as under-resourced and overworked.

“When looking at reasons why social workers had left their first role, though 25% said it was due to excessive workload, a similar amount (24%) said it was because they were promoted out of the role. Just over half of social workers (53%) say they are not likely to leave the profession in the next 5 years and this is highest for staff within the NHS (63%). These proportions are also consistent with similar research we commissioned in 2020 - there has been no change in social workers’ likelihood to leave social work.”

This research is being used to inform a new campaign that is being launched by the regulator during Social Work Week 2024. The campaign seeks to inform and educate the public on the role of social work in England, as well as raise awareness amongst TV and filmmakers of the consequences negative depictions of social workers can have. By calling for them to change the script on social work, it is hoped it will lead to more accurate reflections on the reality of social work in future.

Colum Conway added:

“Each year, social workers help millions of people to improve their chances in life, but this research tells us that we still have some work to do to ensure that the essential role that social workers play is better recognised and respected. That’s why our new ‘Change the Script’ campaign is so timely in helping to more accurately portray the great job social workers do, so that we can build trust and confidence in the profession.”