SOCIAL work vacancy rates in Scotland have hit a 20-year high with “far too many” students finding placements “stressful and difficult,” a survey revealed today.

The new report by the Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) was based on the findings of a survey of 344 student and newly qualified social workers.

It found two in three newly qualified students found their placement affected their mental health and just 49 per cent felt their placement included sufficient learning.

Nearly one in 10 of the respondents also said they had experienced discrimination on placement.

A SASW spokeswoman warned that social work is experiencing a workforce crisis with vacancy rates at a 20-year high and up to 19 per cent of the workforce approaching retirement age.

SASW national director Alison Bavidge said: “Our report shows that far too many social work students are still finding placements stressful and difficult.

“But not only that, many placement experiences don’t deliver the experience and skills social workers need and employers want when students are searching for their first local authority role.

“To address the challenges the profession faces, government, universities and social work employers must tackle the issues that are resulting in many new social workers feeling so ill-prepared and badly supported as they start their career.” 

SASW is the largest professional association for social workers in Scotland, with some 1,400 in the country.

In December, it launched a campaign against Scotland’s “ever-increasing recruitment crisis,” calling for better national terms and conditions, including capped caseloads and defined pay scales.

It also called for guaranteed reflective supervision and training, reduced administrative burdens and paid overtime.

A spokeswoman for Social Work Scotland said: “Social Work Scotland are saddened to read the experiences of student social workers laid bare. We welcome any evidence which helps us and our members, as leaders and managers in social work, continue to make the case for more coordinated support and investment in the profession.”