Social Work Research Podcast: Improving working conditions

Dr Pia Tham evaluates the impact of introducing group supervision for NQSWs, team strengthening activities and training for team leaders on working conditions of social workers.

Recruitment and retention of social workers can be challenging in children’s services. There are no easy solutions to this multi-faceted problem, so any studies which shed some light on this are welcome.

In this episode Martin Webber talks to Dr Pia Tham, Associate Professor in Social Work at the University of Gävle. She has conducted a study in Sweden exploring the impact of introducing weekly small group supervision for newly qualified social workers, team-strengthening activities and training for the team leaders. The findings suggest these initiatives can improve working conditions for social workers in children’s services.

Pia’s research includes the study of working conditions in social work; the transition from social work education to practice; and the development of professional expertise in social work. She has also worked with international researchers to compare how social work education is organised in different parts of the world.