Almost two-thirds of social workers struggle to switch off after work, survey finds

Social workers in Wales report lower levels of wellbeing than the wider working population, with almost two-thirds struggling to switch off after work and nearly half identifying paperwork and bureaucracy as a source of stress, according to a new workforce survey.

The findings come from Social Care Wales’s 2026 Have Your Say survey, which gathered responses from 7,565 people working in social care between January and March. This included 971 people working as social workers, social work managers or in other social work roles.

A quarter of social work respondents said they were considering leaving the sector, while 12% expected to leave within less than a year. However, 42% said they expected to remain in social care until retirement.

The survey found that social workers scored below the wider workforce in Wales across all four wellbeing measures used by the Office for National Statistics. Their average life satisfaction score was 6.5 out of 10, compared with 7.6 for workers across all sectors in Wales. Their average happiness score was 6.6, against 7.5, while their anxiety score was higher, at 4.3 compared with 3.2.

Almost two-thirds (64%) said they struggled to switch off when leaving work, while 62% reported having worked while ill.

Paperwork and bureaucracy were the most frequently cited sources of work-related stress, identified by 47% of respondents. Workload was close behind, at 44%, while 27% cited worries outside work.

Despite these pressures, the survey found that 60% of social work respondents said their morale was good most or all of the time. Most also reported feeling supported by colleagues (77%) and managers (67%).

The findings suggest that commitment to the profession remains strong. Almost two-thirds (65%) said they had entered social care because they wanted a job that would make a difference to people’s lives, while 80% felt valued by their colleagues and 75% by the people they support and care for.

However, concerns about pay and employment conditions remain. Just 37% of social work respondents said they were satisfied with their pay, while 57% were satisfied with their terms and conditions. Nearly a quarter (23%) said they were finding it difficult to manage financially, and 56% felt it had become more difficult to do so compared with the previous year.

The survey also highlighted concerns about staffing and the ability to deliver services. Only 8% of social work respondents felt there were enough staff in place to deliver services all of the time, while 42% agreed they had enough time to do their job well.

There were also indications of challenges around staff voice and influence. Although 84% said formal processes for staff voice were in place, fewer than half (46%) agreed staff were always consulted about changes at work. Just 32% believed their views were taken into account most or all of the time.

Experiences of poor treatment at work were also reported. Overall, 30% of social work respondents said they had experienced poor treatment, including bullying (27%), discrimination (19%) and violence (10%) during the previous 12 months.

Progression ambitions were evident, with 45% saying they wanted a leadership role in the future and 57% believing it was possible for them to become a leader. However, 56% said they needed more training to progress in their career, while 31% believed there were barriers to accessing training.

Social Care Wales said the annual survey had received more than 30% additional responses compared with 2025, providing further insight into the experiences of people working across the sector.

Chief Executive Sarah McCarty said: “The results of this survey once again demonstrate the commitment of the social care workforce to making a difference to people’s lives. And it’s great to see that the majority of people still feel supported and valued by their colleagues and managers.

“But, you’ve also told us that challenges are still there. To try and help address some of the concerns raised in our survey, we’ve arranged a number of sessions on key topics to support you and your teams. Sessions include financial well-being, celebrating staff, and supporting your teams around discrimination and harassment. You can find more information on our website.”

Delyth Jewell MS, Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health, said the findings demonstrated both the strengths and pressures facing the workforce.

“We cannot overlook the pressures around pay, terms and conditions, and retention. We will continue working hard to improve this and make social care a sector that people want to enter and stay. The high levels of morale and commitment shown by the workforce demonstrate the dedication, compassion and professionalism that underpin social care every day and I am so grateful to every one of you.”