Thread by @jamiemroberton

Exclusive: We've seen a report warning Britain is facing a social worker exodus - with the government told that frontline staff feel "utterly exhausted" by an "impossible" and more complex caseload since the start of the pandemic

The @BASW_UK says "deteriorating conditions" are driving social workers to quit

🔴 72% report being unable to complete work within contracted hours
🔴 37% say their cases soared during COVID and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels
🔴 20% now want to leave the profession

This is what one social worker - who left a frontline role in one of the most deprived parts of England just last week - told me:

Recent government workforce statistics revealed that nearly 5,000 family social workers quit last year in England - a 16% rise on 2020. Job vacancies are now at a five-year high. The @educationgovuk told @Channel4News that ministers “recognise the pressure on children’s services”

Warnings come with child protection under spotlight after Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, Star Hobson & Kyrell Matthews tragedies.

@BASW_UK: “If there is serious intent by govt to address protection failures, giving the sector resources/funding it desperately needs must happen urgently"

Here’s my full report as the government is told to urgently address the flow of social workers leaving their jobs amid fears over exhausted staff and “unmanageable” caseloads

channel4.com/news/exclusive…

Final tweet on this: I spoke to a number of social workers who expressed explicit concern about the impact of the #CostOfLivingCrisis on an already stretched safeguarding system & the potential for more families to fall into "higher risk situations" channel4.com/news/exclusive…