Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Social Workers Union's (SWU) Social Work’s Six-Point Urgent Action Plan published on 9 July 2020, what assessment he has made of the SWU finding that social workers have faced traumatic experiences during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

We are committed to providing ongoing support to make sure social workers feel safe, supported, valued and able to continue the exceptional work they do to support people who need care and support. We have provided a £5 million grant for leading mental health charities to fund additional services to promote people’s positive mental health and emotional wellbeing.

The Chief Social Workers for Adults are in regular conversations with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the British Association of Social Workers, Social Work England and Principal Social Workers across the country to ensure concerns are responded to as soon as they arise. In partnership with The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, they have developed dedicated guidance for the support and wellbeing of adult social workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.