18
March 2025
Social work matters – our case for investment
Social work matters – but it’s continuously undervalued and overlooked by policy makers.
This World Social Work Day we’re launching our Social Work Matters campaign to ensure that everyone with severe mental illness has access to a mental health social worker.
We welcome the government’s commitment to investment in frontline roles but want to be sure they recognise the potential of mental health social workers and include them in their reforms.
Philippa Mariani, our CEO, explains:
“With over a million people on waiting lists, and suicide rates at their highest levels in decades, it’s no secret that our mental health services are failing. Mental health needs can affect every area of your life, but outdated services are still heavily focused on the medical side of things.
“We need transformative change to modernise mental health provision and improve the support we’re offering people.
“Mental health social workers don’t have the same profile as doctors and nurses, but as the only charity focused on mental health social work, we need to advocate for these practitioners – they change lives.”
Mental health is a social issue
My social worker was fighting my corner and spotted things that no one else had before. Without her I’m not sure where I’d be today.”
Social issues and mental health needs are intrinsically linked – for many people, it is not possible to resolve one with the other.
Mental health social workers take a social approach to mental health cares services, providing vital support in ways that other professionals can’t:
- They focus on prevention, supporting people to tackle challenges in their lives that may be impacting their mental health.
- From using legal powers to protect people’s rights, to advocating for support, they help people in a way that doctors, nurses and other practitioners simply can’t.
- They help people achieve greater independence and live more fulfilling lives.
Vital but overlooked
Social work in mental health is a persistent policy blind spot.
Working with a social worker really helped me. Unlike a doctor or nurse who looks at your symptoms and treatment for them, they look at your whole life.”
Continuously overlooked from national reviews and planning, the mental health social work roles and their life-changing support, are at risk.
With no mention of social workers in the current NHS Workforce Plan, the profession only accounts for 2% of the mental health workforce.
Yet their support is transformational, allowing people to manage long-term mental health conditions and stay well.
Support for the campaign
Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said:
“People with severe mental illness face some of the harshest inequalities: they are more likely to live in food poverty, have poorer access to work, and face a life expectancy 15-20 years shorter than the general population.
“Mental health social workers are a vital lifeline for tackling these inequalities, and are therefore a crucial part of the mental health workforce. We’re backing Think Ahead’s campaign so that people with severe mental illness get the support they need to live hopeful, healthier lives.”
Rebalancing resources
Adding 24,000 more mental health social workers over the next 10 years will rebalance resources to ensure the support available to people living with severe mental health conditions matches their needs.
We need your support to make this a reality – read our briefing and support our campaign on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram.
#SocialWorkMatters