More social workers say caseloads not manageablepublished at 09:17 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March 2021
Local Democracy Reporting Service
More social workers in Wolverhampton say their caseloads are not manageable, a survey of the council's workforce has revealed.
Following an annual health check to assess how social workers in the city are feeling, a report to the council has revealed a rise in the number saying they are "just about" managing.
A report to the council’s Adult and Safer City Scrutiny Panel, which is due to discuss the findings on 16 March, added the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic were likely to have had an impact on the outcomes.
The report said full-time workers were working an average of 4.2 hours over their contracted hours, compared to 2.4 hours in 2019, but part-time workers were working an average of 2.4 hours over, a decrease from 10.3 in 2019.
Stress levels were slightly higher, with just over 50% of respondents saying they always or often felt stressed compared to 45% in 2019, it stated.
A council spokesman said: "Covid has had an impact on the overall health of the workforce, as evidenced by stress levels reported. Senior managers are aware of the impact this has on workers and continue to support the wellbeing of the workforce in balancing their work and personal circumstances."