Working in the Social Services: Job Satisfaction, Stress and Violence

Correspondence to Professor Jan Pahl, Department of Social and Public Policy and Social Work, Darwin College, University of Kent at Canterbury, Canterbury CT2 7NY. Summary A major survey of the social services workforce (Balloch etal., forthcoming), carried out in the Research Unit at the NationalInstitute for Social Work, has produced new data about sourcesof job satisfaction and about the incidence of stress and violence.The survey took place in five different local authorities inEngland, and interviews were carried out with 1276 individuals,selected from four groups of staff: managers, social work staff,home care workers and residential staff. The results suggestedthat those who work in the statutory, social services do experiencemore stress and violence than workers in other parts of thehealth and welfare services. However, different jobs presenteddifferent hazards. In general, home care workers were the mostsatisfied with their jobs, and were also the group least likelyto be stressed or to experience violence in the course of theirwork. By contrast, residential workers, especially those withmanagement responsibilities, were most at risk of both violenceand stress. Men were more likely than women to experience violence,while other groups with a higher than average risk of stressincluded younger members of staff, and managers and social workstaff responsible for elderly people.     

Sexual Differences in Social Work Administrators' Job Satisfaction

This article explores the reported differcnces in job satisfaction between male and female administrators in a large, public social service agency. The research indicates that females are significantly less satisfied with supervisors and working conditions and consequently supports strategies aimed at reducing these external difficulties.     

Professional Identity,Job Satisfaction,and Retention of Licensed Social Workers in Korea

This paper reports the results from a survey of 735 social workers in South Korea on their professional identity as a social worker, job satisfaction, and intention to leave the profession. The overall result shows that there was a high level of job satisfaction. Social workers' intention to leave the profession was significantly related to their integrated feelings of professional identity. This relationship was partially mediated by job satisfaction. Social workers' sense of professional identity can be tapped to help social workers feel adequate to carry out their professional responsibility. Boundaries of their practice should be well defined.     

The Role of Assertiveness in Clarifying Roles and Strengthening Job Satisfaction of Social Workers in Multidisciplinary Mental Health Settings

Correspondence to Dr Claire Rabin, Tel Aviv University, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Ramat Aviv, 69 978, Tel Aviv, POB 390470, Israel. Summary Eighty-seven social workers, working in nine different mentalhealth settings, were administered four questionnaires tappingthe following variables: assertiveness in daily life; assertivenessin the job setting; role clarity; and job satisfaction. Stepwiseregression analysis showed assertiveness in the job settingto be strongly correlated with role clarity. Assertiveness indaily life was also significantly correlated with role clarity.Assertiveness in the work setting was significantly correlatedwith job satisfaction, although it was riot as powerful a predictorof satisfaction as of role clarity. Number of years of job experiencewas the most powerful predictor of job satisfaction. The implications for social work training and supervision aredescribed in light of the importance of assertive communicationin maintaining job clarity and job satisfaction within multidisciplinarysettings.     

Job Satisfaction and Organizational Structure: A Comparative Study of Nine Social Service Departments

Summary The authors investigated the relationship between aspects oforganizational structure and job satisfaction as experiencedby personnel employed in nine social service departments. Aftera series of unstructured interviews from 28 respondents in oneauthority, interview schedules were used for three distinctgroups of 603 respondents in nine organizations: those makingexecutive decisions, those making supervisory assessments andthose primarily concerned with client interaction. The bestpredictors of organizational structure were dimensions of centralizationand formalization which related significantly but negativelyto job satisfaction. The relevance of these findings is discussedin relation to the rapid growth of social services and the effectit has had on social workers and other employees.     

Interconnections among Homelessness,Family Separation,and Mental Health: Implications for Multi-Sectoral Social Services

This qualitative study explored the interconnections among the phenomena of homelessness, family separation, and mental health and substance abuse issues within the social services, geographic, and infrastructure context of northern Ontario. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirteen participants. Findings revealed the effects of colonization in the form of poor and overcrowded housing conditions in the northern First Nations, difficulties in obtaining affordable and suitable housing in northern towns and cities, reliance on the scarce social services for survival, and valiant attempts to cope with the cold climate of northern Ontario. All participants reported multiple and intergenerational experiences of separation from family due to involvement of child welfare system, placement in residential schools, death of family member(s), flooding, and epidemics. Participants described their lifelong struggles with mental health and substance abuse issues. All three phenomena were tied together in various configurations of causes and consequences. The implications include the need for critical examination of the historical policies and practices, early intervention for mental health and substance abuse issues, greater support for youth transitioning out of care, creation of a continuum of housing options, collaboration across multiple social services sectors, and incorporation of Indigenous worldview and practices in the mainstream services.     

Occupational Stress in Social Services: a Comparison of Social Workers and Home Help Staff

Correspondence to Jennifer Bradley, School of Health Sciences, University College Salford, Frederick Road, Salford M6 6PU. Summary An investigation of occupational stress among professional andsupport staff within a social services department in north-westEngland was carried out, with the aim of optimizing the useof resources in the planning of stress management interventions.A two-phased research design was used to collect qualitative(by interview) and quantitative data (by questionnaire). Theresults reported here are based on data from 63 social workersand 74 home helps, who were involved in ‘front-line’work with clients. Sources of stress, measures of individualwell-being, job satisfaction, rganizational commitment and absenteeismdata are described. Comparisons with other occupational groupsare included.     

Stress and Pressures in Mental Health Social Work: The Worker Speaks

Two-thirds of councils with social services responsibilities(CSSRs) took part in a UK survey of mental health social workers.A one in five sample of front line workers was drawn, and 237respondents completed a questionnaire and diary about theirwork context and content, and their attitudes to their work,their employer, mental health policy and the place of mentalhealth social work in modernized mental health services. Thequestions, that called for free-text responses, were completedin detail and at length. This paper reports the results of aqualitative analysis of these responses using NVIVO software.The paper is structured around the themes emerging from theanalysis: pressure of work; staffing matters; job satisfactionand well-being; recruitment and retention issues; and beingvalued. The conclusions are that the social workers value faceto face contact with service users, and that their commitmentto service users is an important factor in staff retention.The most unsatisfactory aspects of their work context arisefrom not feeling valued by their employers and wider society,and some of the most satisfactory from the support of colleaguesand supervisors. Without attention to these factors, recruitmentand retention problems will remain an unresolved issue.     

Job Satisfaction in the Workplace

This study examines the relative importance of background, perception, and organizational variables in explaining differences in job satisfaction levels of black female managers in human-service agencies. Correlational analysis revealed that nine out of twenty independent variables were significantly related to the level of job satisfaction. Multiple regression analysis revealed a six variable predictive model for job satisfaction. Implications of the findings for organizational policies and programs are discussed.     

工作-家庭冲突、性别角色与工作满意度——基于第三期中国妇女社会地位调查的实证研究

本文使用2010年第三期中国妇女社会地位调查数据,研究了工作-家庭冲突对工作满意度的影响及其性别差异,发现来自工作和家庭两方面的角色压力是引发工作-家庭冲突的主要原因,而且无论是因工作影响家庭,还是因为家庭耽误工作,员工都会对工作表达不满。与男性员工相比,工作压力和家庭压力会使女性员工陷入更为严重的工作-家庭冲突,而且女性员工也更可能因为工作影响家庭而降低对工作的满意度。这些发现不仅为工作-家庭冲突及其相关后果的理论研究提供了丰富的经验证据,还为各级管理人员激励员工士气和提高组织绩效提供了很多实践上的启示。     

Medicalization of Social Workers in Mental Health Services in Hong Kong

Correspondence to Dr Kam-shing Yip, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. E-mail: ssksyip{at}polyu.edu.hk Summary Medical dominance is a crucial problem in social work practicein mental health services. This paper is an examination of theresponse of social workers to medical dominance in mental healthservices in Hong Kong. To explore the process and the effectsof medicalization of social workers, sixty-three social workersin various areas of mental health service settings were interviewed.Their reaction and daily performance in facing medical dominancewere analysed and evaluated. The findings show that facing medicaldominance was a common occurrence for social workers in variousmental health services in Hong Kong. Conflict existed betweenthe rationalization of medical knowledge by medical professionals,and social work rationalization of social work knowledge bysocial workers. The process of medicalization consisted of fivestages: ignorance of medical dominance, confronting medicaldominance, compromise with medical dominance, acceptance ofmedical dominance and internalization of medical dominance.The findings also show that medicalization was influenced bythe organizational and team context.     

The Work Experiences of Social Workers: Factors Impacting Compassion Satisfaction and Workplace Stress

Abstract

In 2015, over 6,000 licensed social workers in 13?US states responded to an online survey regarding perceptions and feelings about their work, as well as numerous personal and practice issues. Specifically, this study examined participants’ levels of compassion satisfaction and workplace stress, and then determined through multivariate analyses what demographic factors, behavioral and physical health problems, practice issues, fields of practice, and workplace environment issues impacted these two variables.

The findings indicate that participants demonstrated high levels of compassion satisfaction, with a wide range of workplace stress levels. Workplace environment issues had the greatest impact on both variables, with social workers’ mental health problems, physical health status, and certain demographic factors such as race also influencing them. Over 82% of respondents expressed agreement that they were glad that they chose social work as a profession. The results appear to demonstrate that despite being a potentially stressful occupation, licensed social workers tend to experience significant emotional satisfaction from their work. On the other hand, the results also highlight the need for further research to determine how to enhance support for social workers in the workplace in order to not only reduce workplace stress, but also to increase compassion satisfaction.     

Mental health and educational difficulties in children in contact with Children's Social Services

The British Child Mental Health Survey 1999 collected data from 10 438 children aged 5–15 years, selected at random from the child benefit register. At 2 and 3 years, all those with a psychiatric disorder and a random third without were followed up with further detailed interviews about the services contacted if parents reported service contact or if parents expressed concern about their child's mental health at baseline and follow‐up, but reported no service use. We compared children in contact with Children's Social Services with children in contact with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) or no services. The children in contact with Children's Social Services had a high level of psychopathology and considerable educational difficulties. Despite this, they often had no contact with CAMHS or access to provision for special educational needs. It also became clear that parents were often using Children's Social Services as a first‐line service, i.e. a way of trying to access help. The results provide us with an interesting insight into the level of need of those children in contact with Children's Social Services and we hope to stimulate discussion about how liaison between all the services children access can better provide for their needs.     

Affirmative Action and Job Satisfaction: Understanding Underlying Processes

In the present article, we examine the relationship between perceptions of affirmative action and the satisfaction of racial and ethnic minority faculty members. We develop a conceptual model of factors that mediate the impact of affirmative action on the satisfaction of faculty of color, and investigate this model based on survey responses of 84 African-American, 48 Latina/o, and 59 Asian faculty. Analyses showed that the satisfaction of faculty of color is significantly related to how affirmative action is perceived to be embraced by the community, and that this effect is mediated by how supportive colleagues are seen and how much self-doubt faculty experience. Data also indicated the important role of mentoring for supporting the goals of affirmative action.     

Youth and Provider Perspectives on Social Service Providers' Roles in Mental Health Services

ABSTRACT

In 1994 and 1996, the Youth Services Project interviewed 792 youths from St. Louis City. Although the youths showed a high need for mental health services (20% met diagnostic criteria), less than half of the youths with problems received services. Past contact with a social service provider, but not a teacher, physician, etc., significantly predicted care for mental health problems (odds ratio = 1.5). Social service professionals (largely social workers) served more youths than did any other profession. Of youths with persistent problems, 25% received services from social service professionals, 3% from MD/PhD level psychiatrists or psychologists, 7% from primary care medical doctors, 12% from teachers/coaches, 15% from other helpers, and 37% received no services at all.     

Job Satisfaction: A Study of Sydney Adults

About one quarter of the 20,434 men and about one fifth of the 17,211 women who had a Medicheck screening expressed dissatisfaction with their job. Single men and single women were the least satisfied. The most positive aspects of work for men and women were that the job was interesting and that there was independence and freedom. Boredom, as well as not using one's potential, discriminated clearly between those satisfied with their job and those not, for both men and women. Job dissatisfaction was closely associated with other psychosocial problems and in particular with life dissatisfaction.     

Job Satisfaction in Public and Private Schools: Competition is Key

Should the public sector become more like the private sector? This is a key question in debates about public management. However, the public/private distinction includes many elements. Two of these are ownership and competition. These aspects are not always sorted out empirically. Another challenge is that dissimilar functional areas are studied which makes it difficult to isolate effects of privatization as such. We respond to these challenges by carrying out an empirical analysis of job satisfaction among teachers who teach Danish to immigrants. The teachers work in comparable schools, carry out the same task, and are subject to the same performance management system, but some of the schools are public, some are private, and some have been subject to competitive tendering. We demonstrate that competition has a greater impact than ownership upon job satisfaction. We also show that one of the key mechanisms which translate competition into reduced job satisfaction relates to changing relations between managers and employees. Advocates and opponents of privatization alike should pay more attention to specific aspects and mechanisms related to privatization, in particular the element of competition.     

社会网络与城乡居民的身心健康

本文根据大型抽样社会调查的数据,集中讨论了个人的社会网络对其精神健康和身体健康的影响,以及这种影响在城乡居民之间的差异。研究结果发现,个人的社会网络规模对身心健康均起着积极作用：紧密度高、异质性低、强关系多的“核心网络”对精神健康有积极影响,而相反特征的松散网络则对身体健康更有利,个人在网络中的相对地位对精神健康起着积极作用。此外,社会网络对健康的作用在农村地区表现得更为明显。作者还进一步讨论了这些研究发现的理论与政策意义。     

Effects of Community,Family, and Home Variables on Job Satisfaction

Research in industry has suggested that motivation and job satisfaction are influenced by various aspects of work activity and work environment. Family background and community characteristics have been thought to have some relevance. In the present research an attempt was made to find out: (1) the significance of relevant community variables, (2) the importance of family and home variables, and (3) their intra as well as interaction effects on job satisfaction in industry. Community, family and home variables were found to correlate highly with job satisfaction, particularly those latter factors dealing with the employees' personal life.     

The Social Construction of Reality in the Realm of Children's Mental Health Services

ABSTRACT

Across the United States, systems of care have emerged to provide mental health care to children and their families; fragmentation inhibiting the success of collaboration by stakeholders is common and compromises these systems of care. Survey data were collected from 1,428 respondents in a Midwestern state to examine problems that exist within systems of care from the perspective of the different stakeholder groups. Stakeholder group membership was based upon the respondent's employment or involvement within various child-serving systems and included those in child welfare, juvenile justice, and education, mental health providers, and consumers (i.e., caregivers/parents). Group differences revealed patterns of “finger pointing” by the stakeholder groups on where specific problems exist within systems of care. The findings provide insight into how the social construction of service delivery and practice emerges as stakeholder groups describe, understand, and evaluate problems within the system of care as a function of their own practice location within the system of care. Future research should consider exploring methods that might minimize the competitive nature of disparate child-serving systems and its potentially negative impact upon system performance and treatment outcomes.