KESS- Safe & Effective Staffing in Social Work

Parliament Buildings – Long Gallery

This seminar offers an example of sharing academic research findings and insights to provide a reliable and robust evidence base for those in government seeking to operationalise safe staffing levels in Northern Ireland social work practice for those developing the proposed Safe and Effective Staffing Bill and those seeking to scrutinise that Bill.

1.30pm: RaISe Researcher – Welcome
1.35pm: Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks

Professor Paula McFadden and Dr Rachel Naylor, School of Applied Social and Policy Science, Ulster University

Safe staffing is critical to safe and effective social work practice, workforce sustainability, staff well-being and for safeguarding children and adults in need of protection. Unlike other health and social care professions, social work has lacked mandated staffing levels or caseload benchmarks, contributing to workload strain, burnout, and inconsistent service delivery. This presentation aims to support more sustainable social work practice based on improved staff wellbeing and continuity of care for service recipients. It is directly relevant to the proposed Safe and Effective Staffing Bill, based on a study commissioned by the Office of Social Services, Department of Health Northern Ireland, which adopted a staffing supply and workload demand approach using mixed methods, to analyse the workloads and staffing of 270 social work teams.

Outlining key findings of the study, the presentation addresses its first phase, including establishing a safe staffing definition, specifying three main concepts (Capacity, Communication and Connection) and developing 10 safe staffing in social work principles that are to underpin the HSC Trusts policy guidance, as well as draws on the learnings from recent familiarisation across the region (March – June 2026). Thereafter, it addresses the study’s second phase, providing workload insights about social worker time allocations for minor, moderate and complex cases and how those will inform written standards guidance for them, based on workload modelling across children’s and older people’s services. Indicative safe caseload ranges were identified as: 13-15 for Family Intervention Teams; 8-12 for Gateway Teams; 12-18 for Looked After Children Teams; and, 30-39 for Older People’s Community Services. In addition, thematic analysis highlighted increasing case complexity, administrative burden, and the importance of supportive communication and supervision.

Professor Gavin Davidson, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast

This presentation is relevant to the proposed Safe and Effective Staffing Bill. It summarises key findings from a series of written reports based on five academic research projects examining mental health social work in Northern Ireland; projects that were commissioned by the Office of Social Services. To help inform discussion about the proposed Bill, it highlights:

1. Ten aspects of the distinctive contribution of social work to promoting and supporting mental health;
2. A methodology for providing an estimate of the number of Approved Social Workers (ASWs) who are specially trained to fulfil statutory duties under mental health and mental capacity law and are needed in each Trust to help inform ASWs workforce planning;
3. Findings of a rapid literature review of the literature concerning workforce planning for mental health social work;
4. Data collection in 2022 from the Health and Social Care Trusts regarding their current staffing, structures and activities;
5. Findings of a rapid literature review on safe staffing in mental health social work;
6. Key points arising from an exploration of the context for safe staffing in this area of practice and potential approaches and tools for caseload weighting and management; and,
7. Findings from a series of interviews and focus groups on safe staffing in mental health social work.

Professor Karen Winter, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast

Relevant to the proposed Safe and Effective Staffing Bill, this presentation focuses on a report commissioned by the Office of Social Services, addressing safer staffing in residential childcare in Northern Ireland. It focusses on key messages of that report, based on the following:

1. A literature review identifying key research on: safer staffing in residential childcare services and skills mix; caseload weighting/management tools; appropriate caseloads across different types of teams and the factors to consider; and, any relevant perspectives from key international social work policy makers and researchers;
2. A review of data collated by the Health and Social Care Trusts relating to safer staffing/skills mix; and,
3. Focus groups conducted with heads of service, stakeholders and service users.

On those bases, seeking to focus on progress, challenges and opportunities going forward, recommendations are made regarding optimal staffing levels which are to inform the development of specific guidance on safer staffing for residential childcare.

2.45pm: Discussion
3.15pm: RaISe Researcher – Closing
3.20pm: Networking & Refreshments

Event venue & nearby stays

Parliament Buildings, Parliament Buildings, Belfast, United Kingdom

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

Get the app →

Discover more events by tag