Increasingly large caseloads are impacting the quality of care being provided to service users across the country. In this blog, we delve into the key reasons why high caseloads are damaging to both social workers and their clients - as well as how our project-based solutions could help make a difference.
3 ways in which high caseloads impede the quality of social care
1.Limits time with clients
Manageable caseloads grant social workers enough time to truly engage with clients and allows them to give each case the undivided attention it deserves. However, excessive workloads sabotage the quality of care being provided to the service user.
With the social worker being spread so thin, there is simply not enough time for them to effectively support each individual in need without comprising the care of another client. It’s a catch-22! Moreover, the higher the caseload, the more time is spent on filling out documents rather than building rapport face-to-face.
2.Causes retention issues
Surplus caseloads have been cited by social workers as a major catalyst for increased staff turnover, along with stress, emotional exhaustion and low job satisfaction. Arguably these are all inexorably linked as the more stress you’re under, the worse your ability to organise caseloads becomes; the bigger your caseload gets, the more stress you’re under at work…and so on and so forth. Hence, reduced workloads may help agencies retain staff and improve general morale.
3.Impacts mental health
As we’ve just discussed, outstanding caseloads can have a negative impact on stress levels and social workers’ overall wellbeing. Especially if you feel like you don’t have the capacity to help all of your clients to your best ability - that can take a toll on your confidence as a professional. Compassion fatigue is also a big risk for social workers dealing with unmanageable caseloads. This is characterised as extreme exhaustion caused by caring for others to the point where the individual loses the ability to empathise. Again, this is not only a horrible outcome for the social worker, but also means service users are being put at risk of neglect.
How can we help?
Our project-based solutions have helped local authorities up and down the country to stabilise their workforce and free up additional capacity for cases. We have specialist teams for both Adults' and Children’s projects so just let us know which you require upon arranging a call. Once we’ve scoped out a proposal outlining how our services will help you reach your authority’s desired outcome, we’ll get straight to sourcing the best people for the job!
Get in touch with us now via email at info@imperiumsolutions.co.uk for further information on how we can help support your current team with caseloads and everything in between.