Think Ahead: Meeting the workforce challenges in mental health social work
A blueprint for securing more, better-trained social workers for our mental health servicesArticle
Social workers are central to community mental health services. Trained to focus on the social aspects of mental health, they also play important roles in safeguarding, and in assessing people's entitlement to services. Yet despite a number of recent attempts to improve the status of the social work profession, challenges remain concerning the recruitment, education and effectiveness of social workers in mental health teams, including a shortage of good quality social workers to work in mental health settings in some areas.
This report, commissioned by the Department of Health, examines the challenges facing mental health social work, and offers a blueprint for a fast-track programme that could better recruit and train high-calibre graduates for the profession.
Related items
From the frontline: Empowering staff to drive the NHS reform agenda
England’s over-centralised health service is misfiring. That much is clear. Less clear is how to fix it.Harry Quilter-Pinner reacts to the Budget on GB News
Interim executive director Harry Quilter-Pinner reacts to the Budget with Jacob Rees Mogg on GB NewsZoë Billingham reacts to the Budget 2024 on Sky News
Zoë Billingham reacts to the Budget 2024 on Sky News live from Grimsby.