Evaluating the motivation, wellbeing, resilience and employment preferences of social work graduates over time: Time 2 Report

Audrey Roulston, Davy Hayes, Jana Ross, Shirley Boyle, Danielle Mackle, Denise MacDermott, Paula McFadden, Lorna Montgomery

Research output: Book/ReportCommissioned report

Abstract

Research studies over the past 20 years indicate that students are often motivated to study social work based on altruism, political ideals, or a desire to help people by challenging oppression and promoting a more socially just society (Hackett et al., 2003; Tham and Lynch, 2014; Ferguson et al., 2018; McCartan et al., 2022). Other research indicates that life and family experiences, personal needs and beliefs may motivate people towards a career in social work (Wilson and McCrystal, 2007; Stevens et al., 2012). Despite a growing interest in the transition of newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) into employment, there is a dearth of longitudinal studies following graduates from university into the workplace (Tham and Lynch, 2019). A five-year longitudinal study involving NQSW conducted in Scotland (Grant et al., 2022), highlighted the importance of the transition from student social worker to NQSW, and how the experiences of support from line management, teams or peers, and the experiences with service users, can shape the way NQSW practice throughout their career, and how long they remain in the social work profession. The report also illustrated the importance of understanding and learning from the experiences and needs of NQSWs, so that we can promote recruitment and retention within the profession. Their findings illustrated the importance of allowing NQSWs time and space to develop their knowledge, skills and experience, and higher levels of support to minimise the longer-term impact of stress and anxiety. In their findings, workloads were complex which made NQSWs feel anxious, and they needed support with everyday work, through managers, dedicated admin support and a positive team environment. Supervision was deemed important, but needed to be frequent, offer clear guidance and opportunities to critically reflect on practice as well as discussing workload management, training and emotional well-being. Other areas for consideration, included the importance of peer support/supervision and continuous professional development through formal and informal modes of learning (Grant et al., 2022). Similar findings were identified by Bogo (2015) and Field et al. (2016).

Messages from the Health and Social Care Workforce (HSC Workforce Strategy, 2026) acknowledge recruitment difficulties, the increasing administrative workload on frontline staff, the need to develop roles that reflect the ageing workforce aligned to the pension age, greater opportunities for flexible working patterns and offering clearer pathways for career development. Regional recruitment into social work posts across Northern Ireland has been challenging for the past number of years. This has resulted in increased expenditure on agency staff, causing additional pressure on the Health and Social Care budget. This has created instability for teams and has a demoralising impact on the permanent workforce. Data is needed from student social workers, and NQSWs during the early stages of their career, regarding levels of motivation to practice social work, and preferences regarding employment. Given the concerns regarding well-being and resilience within the profession, information is needed to capture changes in the early stages of a social worker’s career.

Aim
The overall aim of this project is to improve our understanding of the well-being, resilience, motivation, and employment of social work graduates in the first 12 months of employment. This report presents findings from Time 2, which captured data from NQSWs towards the end of their Assessed Year in Employment (AYE).

The objectives of this report are to examine the:
a. Demographic data from social work participants
b. Health issues, caring or parenting responsibilities
c. Well-being, resilience, and motivation of participants
d. Current employment by sector, service, setting and contract
e. Levels of satisfaction with supervision and support during the AYE
f. Preferences for employment upon completion of their AYE
g. Recommended incentives, training, or support for newly qualified social workers
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages26
Publication statusPublished - 20 Oct 2023

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