A new study into burnout in social work has found that good management and peer support are important factors for staff wanting to stay in the job.
The research, carried out by Paula McFadden and endorsed by the Northern Ireland Association of Social Workers, says that social workers and their employers must recognise their personal limits in order to prevent emotional exhaustion and stress.
Our next online discussion will look at the issue of stress and ask how big a problem is it among the social care workforce. As councils cut funding for social care in order to balance their books, and a rising demand for help puts staff under pressure, we'll explore what initiatives employers can put in place to prevent stress.
Join us from noon until 2pm on Thursday 25 April to join in the discussion with our expert panel, or send us your questions and thoughts before the debate via Twitter at @GdnSocialCare, Facebook, or email at socialcare@guardian.co.uk.
The panel includes
• Sharon Allen is chief executive of Skills for Care
• Mark Wilberforce is a research fellow at the Personal Social Services Research Unit at the University of Manchester, and one of the authors of the study Revisiting the Causes of Stress in Social Work
• Andrew Cowler is a conciliator from workplace experts, Acas
• Claudia Megele is the founder of Mental Health Chat and practices psychotherapy in the NHS and privately
• Janet Foulds is a social worker in Derby
• Gail Kinman is professor of occupational health psychology at the University of Bedfordshire
• Joanna Lenham is practice development manager at SCIE
• Peter Hay is strategic director of Adults and Communities at Birmingham city council
