Funding cuts threaten future of social work education, union warns

Social work education is facing an uncertain future as widespread funding cuts, staff redundancies and growing pressures on university departments threaten the pipeline of future practitioners, the Social Workers Union (SWU) has warned.

A survey of academics working on UK university social work programmes found that 70% had seen funding for their departments decrease over the past year, while 57% said teaching staff had been made redundant. More than one in five (22%) reported long-term vacancies among social work staff, raising concerns about the capacity of universities to deliver high-quality education.

The findings also point to growing challenges for students. More than three-quarters (78%) of respondents said students had left their courses without completing them, while 83% expressed concerns about either the working conditions or the quality of practice placements.

More than half (52%) of academics surveyed said they feared their social work course could face closure in the near future, with SWU warning this could contribute to future workforce shortages. The union also found that changes affecting international student visa holders had impacted programmes over the past year, according to 70% of respondents.

John McGowan, General Secretary of the Social Workers Union, said: “Social work educators are currently operating under unacceptable pressure due to insufficient funding and support, which is affecting both the quality of education for students and the future of the profession.

“The role of social work in our society cannot be overstated, without adequate investment in university-based programmes and the academics who lead them, we risk jeopardising the very foundation of social care. Without immediate action, the long-term repercussions will be dire for staff, students and the vulnerable people who rely on the invaluable support of social workers.”

The survey also highlighted the impact of mounting pressures on academic staff themselves. More than a quarter (26%) said they did not feel valued in their roles, while 96% reported experiencing negative emotional responses, such as crying or feeling unwell because of work, during the past year. More than three-quarters (78%) said their job had worsened their mental health or caused it to collapse over the same period.

One respondent, Allison, described the impact of staff reductions on her department.

“In the last 18 months our staffing team has been cut by 40% through voluntary exit. Years of experience have just gone and the volume of work left behind has not reduced. We’ve lost vital professional service staff, creating even more work and pressure on academic staff which is simply unsustainable. As a female academic who is also neurodivergent and from an ethnic minority, I feel even more vulnerable and unable to manage the multiple spinning plates.”

Another academic, Bernadette, warned that increasing reliance on fixed-term contracts was affecting both staff and the future of the profession.

"The increasing use of fixed-term contracts in social work education has implications not only for staff, but for the profession itself, shaping how we sustain values, continuity, and commitment in training future practitioners. On a personal level, this uncertainty can make it harder to remain ambitious and fully invest in long-term goals, even while staying dedicated to the work. It raises important questions about how we nurture a confident, stable academic workforce that can both thrive and drive the future of social work."