Working in the social services: Job satisfaction, stress and violence

A major survey of the social services workforce (Balloch et al, forthcoming), carried out in the Research Unit at the National Institute for Social Work, has produced new data about sources ol job satisfaction and about the incidence of stress and violence. The survey took place in five different local authorities in England, and interviews were carried out with 1276 individuals, selected from four groups of staff: managers, social work staff, home care workers and residential staff. The results suggested that those who work in the statutory social services do experience more stress and violence than workers in other pans of the health and welfare services. However, different jobs presented different hazards. In general, home care workers were the most satisfied with their jobs, and were also the group least likely to be stressed or to experience violence in the course of their work. By contrast, residential workers, especially those with management responsibilities, were most at risk of both violence and stress. Men were more likely than women to experience violence, while other groups with a higher than average risk of stress included younger members of staff, and managers and social work staff responsible for elderly people.