Managing adversity: a cross-sectional exploration of resilience in social care.

Background: The social care workforce in the United Kingdom plays a vital role in providing support services yet faces systemic challenges of lower priority and lack of resources. Resilience is crucial for these workers who have been navigating challenges within a fragmented system long before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding resilience factors is essential to the future proofing of this vital workforce.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive study was conducted using a cross-sectional online survey to assess resilience and associated factors of social care workers in Northern Ireland. The survey included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Work-related Sense of Coherence Scale (Work-SoC), along with demographic and work-related questions. Data was collected from 613 participants through an online survey between May and June 2023.

Results: Of the 613 valid responses analysed, the mean CD-RISC score was 70.4 (SD 13.3). Gender, education level, years of experience, age and Work-SoC showed varying impacts on resilience scores. For instance, females had higher resilience scores compared to males, and those with a bachelor's degree and higher reported slightly increased resilience scores. Additionally, age categories influenced resilience scores, with older age groups exhibiting higher resilience levels. Findings revealed a moderate positive association between resilience and how people perceive their work in terms of its comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness.

Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of resilience among social care workers in Northern Ireland and emphasises the need to explore factors such as Work-related Sense of Coherence to enhance well-being and job performance. An all systems approach to building and sustaining resilience is proposed, recognising individual assets, fostering supportive work environments, and reshaping societal perception of social care.