Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Social Workers Union about the results of its survey which estimates that one third of social workers are now considering leaving the profession as a result of the deterioration in working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they are taking in response.

We are committed to providing ongoing support to social workers so that they are safe, supported, valued and able to continue the exceptional work they do. We continue to support local authorities and other social work employers to meet their duties regarding social work workforce planning and sharing best practice in recruiting, retaining and developing staff.

There are currently 98,000 registered social workers across the country, of whom 363 were surveyed by the Social Workers Union. The Chief Social Workers for Adults continue to have 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 and have ensured concerns are responded to as soon as they arise.