5 THINGS ON EVERY SOCIAL WORKER’S CHRISTMAS LIST

As Christmas is just around the corner we are dreaming of mulled wine, mince pies, and boxes of chocolates.

We are also dreaming about a blessed few days off work, and wondering about all the presents we might be lucky enough to receive too.

On the subject of presents, here are five things that we know any social worker would love to find in their stocking come Christmas morning...

1: A NEW CASE RECORDING SYSTEM

Paperwork. It is just about the number one gripe of every social worker out there and we at Social Work News have never heard a single person wish for more (but, if they did, they would be put straight onto the naughty list!).

It is not just the paperwork itself that is the problem either. Outdated, ineffective, and buggy recording systems are often major stumbling blocks to getting work done; unnecessary duplication, pointless mandatory boxes, frequent roll backs, and sudden losses of work all being massive headaches.

This year we really wanted less paperwork but, as we all know that is not going to happen any time soon, we will instead settle for a new case recording system.

2: A MOBILE PHONE (THAT ACTUALLY WORKS PROPERLY)

Our consultant editor Vince still remembers the day he got his first iPhone as a social worker. He should, given it was only last year.

Up until then he tells a sorrowful first-world problem tale involving push button phones, cracked screens, missing chargers, dead batteries, and poor signals.

In honour of these first-world problems, we are wishing on a star for a brand new phone for all of you this year.

3: A LOWER CASELOAD

If paperwork is the number one gripe then caseloads must be pushing hard for the top spot among social workers this year.

Despite government claims that the average social worker only has sixteen children on their caseload (yeah, we’re not too sure about the validity of those figures either...) we think it’s a lot higher.

We also think that manageable caseloads lead to happier social workers, more stable teams, and better outcomes for the people you support.

In honour of all those benefits, our third wish this year is for a lower caseload all round.

4: A BETTER WORK/LIFE BALANCE

2021 saw us all live through another turbulent year of grappling with the impact of the Covid pandemic.

Whilst some of you found a better work/life balance in the continued shift towards more home working, many of you also struggled with being away from the office and having limited contact with others.

We want things to be better for everyone in 2022 and for all of you to have the work/life balance that suits you best.

5: A HIGHER WAGE

Whilst our wish list is filled with things for your social work Christmas lists, we know that you will all have friends, family, and colleagues to buy presents for that really do exist and really do cost money - which can often be a stretch on the average social work wage at this time of year.

We think that you are not paid well enough for the work that you do, that your wages do not reflect the effort and responsibility of your jobs, and that inflation means most of you have experienced a real-term pay decrease over the past decade.

Our fifth and final wish is for a higher wage all round. A 50% boost sounds about right to us.