Working in a health and social care setting is an incredibly rewarding career to pursue, a profession that will allow you to make a positive impact, gain all sorts of transferable skills, teach you about yourself and meet like-minded positive people who you’re sure to enjoy having as colleagues and peers.
Of course, that’s not to say that jobs in this sector don’t come without their challenges, but that’s true of any career and the positives far outweigh any negatives that may crop up - as just been suggested by the results of a new survey from the British Association of Social Workers (BASW).
The survey of over 2,000 people in the sector found that the biggest reason for choosing social work as a profession was wanting to work with and support others, followed by an interest in social justice and improving people’s lives.
Being able to have a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of people was what the majority of those asked found most rewarding. And, despite the pressures that have been placed on the sector over the last few years, the majority said they were still happy working in the social work profession.
Challenges continue to face the sector, of course, with the study finding that the biggest were increased workload, public perception and levels of harassment and discrimination, as well as the lasting legacy of the pandemic and the issue of ‘moral distress’.
The BASW is now calling on the government to strengthen social work by investing in recruitment, education, professional development and retention initiatives.
It also wants to see poor working conditions addressed, as well as unfeasibly high workloads. And it wants to provide more time for relationship-based practice, cutting administrative tasks and red tape to allow people to do what they do best.
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