The impact of working in residential care on a social care worker and their family life

Abstract

The aim of this research study was to assess the impact that working in residential care has on a social care worker and on their family life. By investigating previous literature and conducting qualitative research, the objectives were to explore whether working in residential care, has an impact on the health and well-being of a social care worker, effects their domestic relationship and has an impact on raising children.

Qualitative research was the chosen method of data collection as it gave an in-depth understanding of the experiences of social care workers, which quantitative research could not give. It was conducted through semi-structured interviews, on a sample of five participants that were found using a snowball sampling technique.

It became clear early into the study, that working in residential care has negative impacts on a social care worker’s health and well-being, as both literature and research data illustrated effects on diet, the ability to exercise, sleep and mental health. Although literature recommends that organisations should offer supervision to social care workers to help minimise effects to their mental health and emotional well-being, it was discovered through the semi-structured interviews that it was something that rarely occurs, even when staff were experiencing job burnout.

Another impact that was discovered, was the negative effect that working in residential care has on the amount of quality time that a social care worker gets to spend with their partner, which proved to be something that can cause conflict in a domestic relationship. However, the interviews that were conducted, illustrated a high level of support from each of the participant’s partners, which showed to have positive effect on the relationship.

It appeared that although working in residential care impacted the amount of quality time that a social care worker got to spend with their partner, it did not have the same impact on the amount of time that they spent with their children. It emerged from the data collection, that when the participants were off work, they made a conscious effort to spend time with their children. Reviewed literature articulated that people who work shift work rosters such as the ones in residential care, often desynchronize their work schedules with their partner, to ensure that at least one parent is always the caregiver to their children. This was supported by the information gathered in the data collection and additionally revealed that it was often the only option that families had to ensure their children were being looked after, due to the lack of childcare available to shift workers. Although this is something that proved to be an inconvenience in a relationship at times, it was however, a positive effect that working in residential care has on raising children, as the children always had at least one parent as a caregiver, which is something that is not feasible to families where both parents work a standard working week.

It appears that although working in residential care has some negative impacts on a social care worker and on their family life, it can also have some positive effects which can benefit a family unit.

The aim of this research study was to assess the impact that working in residential care has on a social care worker and on their family life. By investigating previous literature and conducting qualitative research, the objectives were to explore whether working in residential care, has an impact on the health and well-being of a social care worker, effects their domestic relationship and has an impact on raising children.

Qualitative research was the chosen method of data collection as it gave an in-depth understanding of the experiences of social care workers, which quantitative research could not give. It was conducted through semi-structured interviews, on a sample of five participants that were found using a snowball sampling technique.

It became clear early into the study, that working in residential care has negative impacts on a social care worker’s health and well-being, as both literature and research data illustrated effects on diet, the ability to exercise, sleep and mental health. Although literature recommends that organisations should offer supervision to social care workers to help minimise effects to their mental health and emotional well-being, it was discovered through the semi-structured interviews that it was something that rarely occurs, even when staff were experiencing job burnout.

Another impact that was discovered, was the negative effect that working in residential care has on the amount of quality time that a social care worker gets to spend with their partner, which proved to be something that can cause conflict in a domestic relationship. However, the interviews that were conducted, illustrated a high level of support from each of the participant’s partners, which showed to have positive effect on the relationship.

It appeared that although working in residential care impacted the amount of quality time that a social care worker got to spend with their partner, it did not have the same impact on the amount of time that they spent with their children. It emerged from the data collection, that when the participants were off work, they made a conscious effort to spend time with their children. Reviewed literature articulated that people who work shift work rosters such as the ones in residential care, often desynchronize their work schedules with their partner, to ensure that at least one parent is always the caregiver to their children. This was supported by the information gathered in the data collection and additionally revealed that it was often the only option that families had to ensure their children were being looked after, due to the lack of childcare available to shift workers. Although this is something that proved to be an inconvenience in a relationship at times, it was however, a positive effect that working in residential care has on raising children, as the children always had at least one parent as a caregiver, which is something that is not feasible to families where both parents work a standard working week.

It appears that although working in residential care has some negative impacts on a social care worker and on their family life, it can also have some positive effects which can benefit a family unit.