Have Your Say 2024: Survey finds more well-being support needed for social care workforce in Wales

To mark World Mental Health Day, we’re raising awareness of free resources, information and advice to help support the well-being of the social care workforce in Wales.

This year’s theme, set by the World Federation of Mental Health, is “it’s time to prioritise mental health in the workplace”.

Our 2024 ‘Have Your Say’ survey has revealed that the well-being of Wales’s social care workforce is lower than the UK average.

Between January and February, 5,024 people from a range of job roles across social care took part in our annual workforce survey. The total number of responses to the survey was made up of 3,307 care workers, 838 social workers, 461 managers and 418 other job roles. We asked social care workers to tell us about their health and well-being, pay and conditions, and what they like about working in the sector.

We assessed the well-being of the workforce using the ONS4 – four measures used by the Office for National Statistics that use a scale of 0 to 10.

We asked respondents to rate their life satisfaction, their feeling that life is worthwhile, their happiness the day before completing the survey and their anxiety level.

The average response from our survey was then compared with the UK average for each measure. For satisfaction, feeling worthwhile and happiness, a higher score is better. For anxiety, a lower score is better.

Workload (39 per cent), paperwork or admin load (33 per cent), and worrying about things outside work (25 per cent) were the main causes of stress.

Sarah McCarty, our Chief Executive, said: “Social care workers carry out vital work across our communities every day. Once again this year, the main reason people join the profession is to make a difference to people’s lives. It’s great to hear that the majority feel valued by their managers and by the people they support. However, it’s worrying that well-being is low.

“Working in social care can be rewarding, but it can also be demanding. This World Mental Health Day, we’d like to remind employers about the free resources that are available to support their teams. You’ll find information about a lot of these resources on our website.

“It’s important for employers to support their teams’ well-being, not only because of the value of well-being for its own sake, but because of the clear link between well-being and employee retention. Improving workplace well-being means people are more likely to stay in their jobs, which makes it easier for social care teams to provide high-quality, sustainable services.

“We know there’s more that needs to be done to support well-being. This is why we’re committed to working with partners to explore what’s needed, as well as continue our work to make sure the workforce is recognised and rewarded fairly for the incredible work they do.”

Minister for Children and Social Care Dawn Bowden said: "The dedication and hard work of our social care workforce has been clearly highlighted in this survey. It's heartening to see that, compared to last year, more of our workforce feel recognised for the essential role they play in supporting individuals and communities across Wales.

“At the same time, the survey highlights that there is still much more to be done to enhance the well-being of our workforce and ensure they receive the support they need to thrive.

“We are committed to collaborating with the sector to address the key issues identified in the report, including improving terms and conditions and overall well-being."

Our well-being framework helps social care, early years and childcare organisations create workplaces that support well-being for the people who work for them. Positive workplaces lead to positive care. The aim of the framework is to improve the health and well-being of the workforce, with an emphasis on culture, inclusion and compassionate leadership.

Canopi is a free, independent and confidential service that offers mental health support to social care workers in Wales. The self-referral service offers Wellbeing Ally support, guided sessions, virtual consultations and other self-help resources. Find out more by visiting the Canopi website.

We’ve produced an evidence summary, which looks at research findings and the link between improved well-being and workforce retention. The evidence summary focuses on the relationship between well-being and employee retention, and the role of organisations in creating a culture of well-being in the social care workforce.

Our workforce insight briefing looks at how people working in social care understand the way they’re seen and if they feel valued by those around them.

We also welcome new members to join our well-being community of practice and training events. These are opportunities to connect with like-minded people, and to hear and learn about work, resources and information to support well-being at work.

Social workers can access the British Association of Social Workers’ (BASW) Social Work Professional Support Service. The service offers free, independent and confidential online coaching with qualified social workers, to help people manage the professional and personal challenges they might face. Social workers can visit the BASW website to find out more and register for coaching.