National Workload Action Group meeting summary - 15 July
The National Workload Action Group (NWAG) aims to identify recommendations for reducing social worker workload in the UK.
The National Workload Action Group (NWAG) is developing resources for reducing social worker workload.
NWAG meetings bring together local authority representatives and key stakeholders in the social work sector to develop resources and provide suggestions to the Department for Education (DfE) about addressing unnecessary workload drivers.
In the NWAG meeting on 15 July, members explored the following:
Project recap
Dez Holmes, Director of Research in Practice, emphasised the aim of the project; to address unnecessary social work workload. She acknowledged the wider systemic context and key challenges associated with tackling this issue, summarising the work done so far to develop tangible ideas for resources:
NWAG defined the core components of workload and interconnected drivers.
NWAG produced a long list of possible areas for resource development.
DfE colleagues reviewed the long list. Recommendations were shortlisted to five interconnected priority areas:
- Case recording.
- Hybrid working and digital practice.
- Managerialism and admin.
- Supervision.
- Work/caseload management.
Research in Practice developed logic models to show how proposed resources and activity in these five priority areas could lead to outcomes and impact.
Logic model review
Emma Smale, Innovation and Development Programme Manager at Research in Practice, presented the five logic models. Members were asked to review the models and discuss:
- How the proposed resources would help to meet identified needs in services and networks.
- Whether the resources would support leaders, managers and practitioners in different organisational contexts.
- How the proposed resources could help a range of people.
- Potential challenges, risks and unintended consequences.
- Other factors to consider.
- Examples from practice.
- People and groups for Research in Practice to consult.
- Existing resources to review.
What next?
Research in Practice will create a set of resources and present them in draft form to both NWAG and the Review, Testing and Implementation Network (RTIN), taking steering advice on which resources to prioritise.
NWAG meetings are scheduled to be held every two months until March 2025.
