What action is the Welsh Government taking to support social workers whose mental wellbeing and quality of working life have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?
We have worked with key stakeholders to develop a broad range of provision from online and virtual face to face support to suit the variety of ways that staff may prefer to seek support during the pandemic.
Social Care Wales (SCW) have developed its website to provide a one-stop location for Covid-19 guidance and resources with up to date sign posting information about well-being support that is available to the sector. This includes a confidential Samaritans listening support helpline, funded by Welsh Government, dedicated to all health and social care workers in Wales and an Employee Assistance Programme to ensure that there is ready access to longer term support, including face to face counselling where needed. We will continue to work closely with SCW on the development of the ‘well-being offer’ to ensure that it is of high quality and wide ranging.
We have also provided funding to SCW to provide training to social care managers on the following subjects:
- managing the process of bereavement and loss including grief, for themselves, their teams and those receiving care and support
- supporting managers in building capacity and resilience ensuring they are best equipped to meet the ongoing challenge of managing social care services
We have launched an online Workforce Wellbeing Conversation Guide for use across health and social care settings in Wales. This online guide is a starting point for staff to encourage conversations about their experiences of work and exploring how this influences well-being, and can be used flexibly to suit individuals and teams.
The Welsh Government has provided funding to BASW Cymru to help extend the BASW run Social Worker Professional Support Service to all social workers across Wales. Led by BASW Cymru and delivered in partnership with Strengthening Practice, the service offers an essential space for social workers to talk and think through issues, and to find solutions and ways forward, at any stage of their career. The Social Work Professional Support Service is a development opportunity for social workers who want to become volunteer coaches, and to share their knowledge, compassion, and expertise with others in the profession who need it.