Longitudinal study of local authority child and family social workers (Wave 3) Research Report

Johnson, Claire, Sanders-Earley, Alfie, Earl, Shannon, Winterbotham, Mark, Pollock, Sarah ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1106-6705, McLaughlin, Hugh ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3916-0506, Scholar, Helen and McCaughan, Susan (2021) Longitudinal study of local authority child and family social workers (Wave 3) Research Report. In: Longitudinal study of local authority child and family social workers. Research Report. Department of Education (UK Government), London. ISBN 9781838702731

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Abstract

In 2018, the Department for Education (DfE) commissioned a consortium led by IFF Research, working with social work academics at Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford, to conduct a longitudinal study tracking the careers of local authority child and family social workers in England. This landmark study aimed to collect robust evidence on recruitment, retention and progression in child and family social work by tracking individuals over a five-year period. In Wave 3, new questions were added about the impacts of Covid-19 on child and family social workers’ workplace wellbeing, access to learning and development, flexible working, relationships with colleagues, and relationships with children, families and carers.