Tips for Caseloads and Service Users Support

Lessons from high caseloads and rebuilding after burnout

Managing cases can prevent burnout

Reflecting on my years in frontline social work practice, one period stands out sharply. That is COVID 19, remote working, home schooling, etc. Out of a team of 10 social workers, all left the local authority or moved teams.  I was reluctant to move as other social workers joint my team including a new team manager. When my colleagues were leaving the team, the complex cases had to be re-allocated. Since I had met some of the families, the high-risk urgent cases were allocated to me. It got to a point when my caseload was 32 comprising of pre-proceedings, child protection and child in need cases. 10 of these cases were in pre-proceedings.

On paper, I was 'managing.' I was attending home visits virtually and in-person when required, completing assessments, organising and chairing meetings, updating case notes, and responding to urgent crises. However, underneath the surface, I was sinking. Every case represented a real family, each with unique struggles and complex needs. The weight of so many lives with trauma, poverty, domestic abuse, safeguarding risks rested on my shoulders. I told myself I could handle it, that passion and commitment would be enough. However, these were the minority of the struggles.

The major issues were administrative, work culture, management pressures with unrealistic expectations, etc. I worked very long hours, starting from 7am and finishing at 10pm with very few short breaks. Yet I couldn’t keep up with the tasks. Over time, the cracks began to show with constant fatigue, blurred boundaries, emotional numbness, confusion and unfulfilled.

The final straw was when a sibling group of 5 children on child protection were to be escalated to pre-proceeding. I remember vividly, on a Tuesday morning I received an email with safeguarding concerns of this family. I arranged a strategy meeting, and a unanimous decision was made for case escalation. I was extremely frustrated because this case had been open to children’s services for two years and no support had been put in place. Within the week of case reallocation, I made a home visit once and it was then I realised that support had been offered to the family for two years. Anyway, after the strategy meeting, I had to deliver the 'bad news' to the family. I did a joint visit with a professional from another service. During that visit, I felt that I had got to my deepest depth. I managed the conversations very well. However, at the end of that visit I told the other professional that they would not see me in this role again. She was surprised stating that I was great in handling the difficult conversation. I appreciated her feedback, but said what I was experiencing was much deeper.

When I got home that night, I followed my relaxation routine, but I couldn’t sleep. At 6:30am when my alarm went off, I got up and sent a text message to my manager stating that I did not feel well. I updated the case note, stating clearly my views that the family had been failed by Children's Services.

All-in-all, the stress was gradual, and the burnout was real that significantly affected mental health such as confusion, mental distortion whereby I would be talking and mid-sentence I would go blank, etc. That experience changed everything about the way I understand caseloads, self-care, and sustainable service user support.

The reality is that high caseloads are not just a logistical issue, they directly affect both practitioners and service users.

• Emotional weight: Holding 32 stories of pain, trauma, and crisis drained my mental reserves. Research shows that high emotional demands in social work are a significant predictor of burnout (Lizano, 2015).

• Time scarcity: With so many cases, I often felt torn between being thorough and being timely, coupled with pressure around performance. Families sometimes received fragmented support because I simply could not be everywhere at once.

• Loss of self: The Social Work Task Force (2009) identified that ‘unmanageable caseloads’ are a major factor in workforce instability. I experienced this first-hand when I lost touch with my own wellbeing trying to meet deadlines.

Transformative Shifts After Burnout

Reaching burnout forced me to rebuild how I approached my work. I shifted my mindset through transformational life coaching, and I returned to frontline practice with a changed perspective. These shifts helped me to regain balance:

1. Prioritising with Compassion

Not every case can receive equal intensity every week. I began prioritising such as identifying high-risk cases requiring immediate attention and recognising when low risk cases could be visited less often but within the statutory timescale. Research notes that effective prioritisation reduces stress and enhances service delivery (McFadden et al., 2015).

2. Boundaries as Survival

I stopped carrying work into every corner of my life. Maintaining a routine to shut down at the end of the day helped me to transition from ‘social worker’ back to ‘me.’  Studies highlight that boundary management is vital in preventing burnout in human services (Kinman & Grant, 2011).

3. From Reaction to Reflection

When overloaded, I operated in constant crisis mode. Now, I create time for reflection weekly, either through journaling or supervision. This reflection strengthens professional judgement and prevents ‘firefighting fatigue’ (Ruch, 2007).

4. The Power of Peer Support

Burnout taught me the importance of connection. Sharing struggles with colleagues reduced isolation and reminded me that we are human, not machines. Peer support has been found to prevent stress and build resilience in social work practice (Collins, 2008).

Tips for Service User Support

Burnout shifted how I support families. These are practices that emerged from that journey:

• Be present, not perfect: Service users value authenticity over flawless answers. Even during short visits, I focus on quality of presence.

• Set clear expectations: Avoid making promises because the support may not be offered. That would deepen the disappointment with professionals, services and the system. Being transparent about limitations builds trust and empowers families.

• Empower rather than rescue: Carrying too much for families left me drained and they were dependent. Now, I focus on equipping them with their own strengths and resources.

• Celebrate progress: With the large caseloads, it’s easy to miss the wins. Take a minute to PAUSE and acknowledge small steps that will motivate both families and workers.

In conclusion

Holding 32 cases pushed me beyond my limits, but it also reshaped my understanding of what sustainable practice looks like. Burnout was not a failure, rather, it was a wake-up call.

The lesson I carry forward is that our worth as practitioners is not measured by how many cases we can handle, but by the depth and humanity we bring to each interaction. Sustainable caseload management, honest boundaries, and reflective practice are not luxuries; they are necessities, both for worker's wellbeing and for meaningful service user support.

📌If you are feeling the weight of your caseload pressing down, remember that you are not alone, and change is possible.

🌟Contact us for support NOW.

References

• Collins, S. (2008). Statutory social workers: Stress, job satisfaction, coping, social support, and individual differences. British Journal of Social Work, 38(6), 1173–1193.

• Kinman, G., & Grant, L. (2011). Exploring stress resilience in trainee social workers: The role of emotional and social competencies. British Journal of Social Work, 41(2), 261–275.

• Lizano, E. L. (2015). Examining the impact of job burnout on the health and well-being of human service workers: A systematic review and synthesis. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 39(3), 167–181.

• McFadden, P., Campbell, A., & Taylor, B. (2015). Resilience and burnout in child protection social work: Individual and organisational themes from a systematic literature review. British Journal of Social Work, 45(5), 1546–1563.

• Ruch, G. (2007). Reflective practice in contemporary child-care social work: The role of containment. British Journal of Social Work, 37(4), 659–680.

• Social Work Task Force. (2009). Building a Safe, Confident Future: The Final Report of the Social Work Task Force. Department for Children, Schools and Families.