‘I Wouldn't Be Here Without Them’: An Explorative Study of Workplace Friendships and Well‐Being in Child and Family Social Workers

Anna Bedford, CIARAN MURPHY

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (journal)peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Friendships can offer significant benefits, particularly in the challenging field of statutory social work, which is often characterised by high caseloads, limited resources and frequent exposure to trauma. However, the recent focus on how we can better promote the well‐being and job satisfaction of UK social workers, and relatedly, promote a more sustainable workforce, has failed to explore the influence of workplace friendships. This study explored the nature of workplace friendships amongst a cohort of experienced child and family social workers employed within England's children's social care system. Using semi‐structured interviews (n = 10) and ecomaps (a visually illustrative tool used by social workers to identify and document relationships), the research identified the role of workplace friendships in offering emotional support, professional learning and encouragement for career progression. It highlights the influence and importance of these relationships in decisions by practitioners to remain in children and families social work and argues that reforms to promote friendships at work could play a positive role in addressing the different measures of workplace instability currently inherent within England's children's social care system.
Original languageEnglish
JournalChild and Family Social Work
Early online date26 Dec 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Dec 2024

Keywords

  • children and families
  • friendships
  • job satisfaction
  • social work
  • stress
  • well‐being
  • well-being

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of '‘I Wouldn't Be Here Without Them’: An Explorative Study of Workplace Friendships and Well‐Being in Child and Family Social Workers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this