Warning Baby P case could be repeated as social workers forced to do 64 days' overtime a year

'The job took over my life completely'

More cases with fewer resources could result in increased risks for those being cared for (Getty)

Social workers in the UK are working an average of 64 days of overtime a year, leading care workers associations to warn that overworking increases the risks of child abuse cases such as that involving Baby P.

A study showed as many as 92 per cent of the 100,000 registered social workers in the UK are working an average of 10 hours’ unpaid overtime each week, amounting to approximately 480 hours every year, or 64 days per person.

The Social Workers Union (SWU) and the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) said the numbers give “alarming evidence of the difficulties social workers experience.”

As a result of the unpaid overtime, over 50 per cent of current social workers are considering leaving the profession within the next 18 months, the study found.

With the number of trainees in the sector falling, such a deficit could result in a social care crisis in the UK.

Social workers having to deal with more cases with fewer resources could result in increased risks for those being cared for, and could increase the chances of another child abuse tragedy such as that of Baby P.

Peter Connelly, a 17-month-old boy, died in 2007 after suffering more than 50 injuries over an eight-month period.

During that time he was repeatedly seen by children’s services and NHS professionals who failed to pick up on the abuse. His case led to three inquiries and a nationwide review of social service care.

Dr Ruth Allen, chief executive of the British Association of Social Workers, told The Independent that although there were many contributing factors to his particular case, excessive overtime could lead to higher risks including “not being able to work early enough with a family to prevent things going wrong” and “missing signs”.

She said social workers who have the time to do their jobs properly and have the time for recovery and reflection are in a better position to spot cases which might need further attention.

“It’s no guarantee that you’ll avoid all tragedy, but you’re in a better position to be able to see warning signs. The other key thing is you’re in a better position to go in early and see things deteriorating,” she said.

She said the issue is underpinned by austerity and public funding cuts, which affect some of the poorest authorities the most.

“There needs to be a complete recommitment to equalising communities’ access to good, preventive social work for adults and children,” she said. “And that means making more fair funding regimes, ending austerity and reversing cuts.”

Former social worker Lucy Kirland told The Independent the amount of overtime she worked factored into her decision to quit. “The job took over my life completely,” she said.

She added: “There’s always a risk you’re going to miss something. Most of the time, the job doesn’t allow you to spend quality time within the family home or with that child.

“You often have so many home visits to do that day and a mountain of case notes that it is often cut short. You probably miss things because of that. You will miss things because the system does not enable you to be a good social worker, it just enables you to be really good at judging something in 10 minutes and panicking to write it up.”

The author of the study, Jermaine Ravalier, from Bath Spa University, said: “What our research has revealed is that the majority of social workers are actually deeply fulfilled by their work but the satisfaction they feel can no longer outweigh the lack of support they are experiencing.

“Deep budget cuts are forcing social workers to take on more cases than ever, putting them under pressure to deliver a service to people that are often vulnerable with fewer resources. In order to keep up, they are simply giving away days of their personal time.

“If this keeps up, and the social workers we spoke with do leave the profession, local authorities will be forced to pay for contract workers who are expensive, transient, and certainly won’t be working lots of free hours.”

Commenting on the study, John McGowan, general secretary of the SWU, said: “Dr Ravalier’s research has highlighted what the reality of being a social worker is in today’s austerity Britain.

“It is a great concern that the majority of social workers are considering leaving the profession due to having to work an extra 10 hours a week unpaid to meet their workload and protect vulnerable people.

“Social work intervention in a vulnerable person’s life can greatly improve the quality of life and opportunities for that person and the people that support them, who otherwise may need increased intervention from a range of agencies that costs more to the taxpayer but also reduces the quality of life for the person.”

In light of the findings, the study recommends the Government focus on improving

Mr Ravalier added: “The government has enjoyed years of huge savings in the form of conscientious employees giving up their own time. The funding blackhole that many predict we are facing almost certainly does not take this into account, so the situation is likely to be much worse than thought.

“If we do see a mass exodus then these costs will have to be taken into account – a crisis is definitely looming and thousands of people, including the elderly, the very young and those with health issues, are at risk of slipping through the net.

“With this evidence in hand, the Government needs to consider its spending position on social care very soon and inject a great deal of money into the sector.”