Govt put on notice for training allowance as more than 40 per cent of social work students drop out

Social workers are at the coalface every day dealing with vulnerable people and families who need their help. But fears have been raised about staff retention, attraction and safety for a sector in crisis. As part of Poverty in Paradise, a series on Tē Tuinga Whānau Support Services Trust, Carmen Hall reports.

More than 40 per cent of students training to be social workers have dropped out due to financial hardship, according to the organisation that represents them.

And experts working in the field say the sector is in crisis with experienced social workers burning out or leaving.

Tē Tuinga Whānau Support Services Trust executive director Tommy Wilson said he feared for the safety of his social workers who were facing more violent situations.

“It’s a perfect storm and poverty and P and the pandemic are biggest drivers.”

He said his biggest challenge was keeping “social workers’ wairua strong”.

“We do that in many ways from weekly kai together to self-empowerment and working closely as a family so we all carry the burden that has grown daily.

“This has been the hallmark of how we roll in Tē Tuinga that has allowed us to keep up with the ever-increasing demand of what is coming through our front door.”

Tē Tuinga Whānau Support Service Trust social worker Sophia Murray said she was aware of others in her field that were overworked, understaffed, underpaid and burnt out.

In her view, she said it would be difficult to find “a social worker that was up to date with all their case notes” because of the hours they put into the job.

“There are so many obligations and processes attached to social work now... they are extremely important but neverending.”

She said the pandemic had changed the world forever and the level of need was greater.

Tē Tuinga Whānau Support Services Trust executive director Tommy Wilson

“We work in a space of trying to challenge the social injustices. If we don’t drill down into those underlying causes of what brought them to where they are now then we are just throwing a plaster over a scab.”

Another bone of contention had been pay disparity with government social workers earning about 30 per cent more.

New Zealand Association of Social Workers interim chief executive Braden Clark said the sector was in crisis and it had received data that shows only 55 per cent of students who started a qualification would complete it.

He said a lot were dropping out because they could not afford to do the 120 days of unpaid full-time placement as part of their social work education and it was lobbying the Government for a training wage.

“With the high cost of living it is a really huge challenge. Students are burning out, working additional jobs and some of them are just dropping out.”

The association sent to Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni a briefing paper on social worker student hardship in November which said the issue posed a direct risk to and impact on the future social work workforce.

Sophia Murray says some social workers are burnt out. Photo/ Alex Cairns

In that paper, student comments included: “Due to the placement being unpaid I’m having to work two jobs in my free time to meet my financial obligations” and “I would have to work both weekend days for each week of placement, simply to have enough income to pay my bills and feed myself”.

Social workers had been recently added to the migration green list but Clark told NZME that would not solve the problem.

“We need to be really strengthening our New Zealand education rather than just trying to import social workers without solving the challenges that already exist within social work education.”

An ageing workforce with 15 per cent intending to leave in the next five years was another big concern, he said.

Oranga Tamariki chief social worker Peter Whitcombe said kaimahi (workers) work in some of New Zealand’s most complex situations, where significant life challenges, social issues and stressors, alongside intergenerational trauma on children and families.

Statutory social work presented additional pressures and certain legislative responsibilities under the Oranga Tamariki Act (1989) to ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people.

“This means that as a last resort and with great care and oversight, social workers are required to - alongside the Family and Youth Courts, police, other relevant agencies and community partners - to act to ensure a child or young person’s immediate safety.”

He said it had a number of ways in which it supported staff through safety planning, supervision with senior practitioners, and an EAP service.

Oranga Tamariki human resources general manager Elizabeth Blanchefield said it employed 1717 people in social worker roles including 138 based in the Bay of Plenty region an increase of five since April 2022.

As of May 25, it had 158 social worker vacancies nationwide and recruitment remains challenging, particularly in remote areas.

Deputy Prime Minister and Social Development and Employment Minister, Carmel Sepuloni. Photo / Mark Mitchell

“This is due to the current tight labour market and skills shortages in New Zealand and the limited pool of qualified social workers. Oranga Tamariki has been engaging with Immigration New Zealand on changes to the immigration policy relating to migrant workers and social workers have now been added as green list roles.”

Oranga Tamariki’s pay for social workers ranges from $78,840 to $106,000. On November 24 the Government confirmed the extension of the pay equity settlement for non-government organisations and community social workers in social work roles.

University of Waikato Pro Vice-Chancellor of Arts, Law, Psychology and Social Sciences, Professor Patrick Leman, said it closed its bachelor of social work programme to new applicants in late 2021 at the Tauranga campus.

“The university faced a sudden and unexpected situation with a number of staff on the programme relocating or deciding to leave academia. It was not possible to replace these staff with suitably qualified academic staff in time to deliver the programme from 2022.”

“There is a shortage of suitably qualified staff in social work who can or wish to teach in the tertiary sector.”

However, it was actively considering proposals to develop a modern postgraduate qualification in social work, possibly a master’s in social work.

Minister of Education Jan Tinetti said the Government recognised affordable and accessible tertiary education was important.

Student allowances rates and the living cost student loan component take into account annual inflationary changes, including the increases New Zealanders were experiencing.

Last year’s annual adjustment on April 1 was 5.95 per cent and, this year it was 7.22 per cent.

To support students with rising living costs the maximum student loan living cost entitlement and student allowances rates increased by $50 per week in 2018 and $25 per week last year.

Minister for Immigration Michael Wood said including social workers on the immigration green list would help to streamline the entry of migrant social work practitioners into New Zealand given the workforce shortages in the sector.

“Immigration settings are one tool of helping ease workforce supply challenges and sit alongside other initiatives to support the social work sector. For example, the recent pay equity settlement will lift pay across the sector and will help to support and attract potential social work students to the industry.”