Perceptions of Safe Staffing, Self-Reported Mental Well-being and Intentions to Leave the Profession among UK Social Workers: A Mixed Methods Study

The purpose of this study was to examine social workers' perceptions of safe staffing levels and correlate these perceptions with standardised measurements of well-being in the UK. This cross-sectional mixed-methods study analysed data from 406 social workers from November 2022 until late January 2023. Data were collected using anonymous online surveys including both qualitative and quantitative methods examining mental well-being, burnout and intentions to leave the profession post-coronavirus disease 2019. Findings revealed that only one-third of social workers responding perceived that they work in an environment of safe staffing. There were also significant differences in well-being and an increase in personal, work-related and client-related burnout in social workers who believed their service did not operate a safe staff-to-service user ratio. Likewise, compared to those who perceived their service to operate within a safe staff-to-service-user ratio, those who perceived unsafe ratios were more likely to communicate their intention to leave the profession. Qualitative findings helped contextualise the quantitative results. These findings suggest that increased demand for social work services, shortage of qualified social workers, high workloads, inadequate resources and retention problems, contribute to additional pressure on existing staff and have implications for policy, practice and research in social work. In this article, we examined the effect of social workers working in a perceived unsafe staff-to-service-user ratio and how this perception correlated with their well-being and burnout scores and intentions to leave the profession. The data stemmed from a wider study of health and social care practitioners who completed an online survey post-pandemic. The survey comprised both quantitative and qualitative questions. We analysed the responses of 406 social workers between November 2022 and January 2023, finding that: nearly two-thirds of social workers UK-wide (64.7 per cent) believed their service did not operate a safe staff-to-service-user ratio. Respondents who believed their service did not operate a safe staff-to-service-user ratio scored significantly higher on personal, work-related and client-related burnout, and significantly lower on mental well-being, compared to those who did not. Social workers who perceived that their service operated with an unsafe staff-to-service user ratio were twice as likely to indicate their intentions to leave the profession in comparison to those who did not. Qualitative findings helped contextualise the quantitative results. These findings suggest that increased demand for social work services compounded by a shortage of social workers has placed additional pressure on existing staff and have implications for policy, practice and research.