Malta’s social work crisis

Why are so few people in Malta drawn to careers in social work and social care? And what happens if this trend continues? These questions are not merely rhetorical – they represent a growing crisis that demands immediate attention.

A recent report in The Guardian of May 6, 2025, sheds light on a disturbing incident in Sydney, Australia. The Bondi Junction stabbing, which left six dead and 10 injured, revealed that the perpetrator, Joel Cauchi, had been flagged for mental health support in 2023. However, due to an overwhelmed officer responsible for the mental health of 220,000 people, the follow-up was overlooked in a sea of daily tasks.

The officer’s role, under-resourced and unmanageable, serves as a chilling example of a deeper systemic failure. This is not just an issue confined to Australia – it’s mirrored in social work systems around the world, including here in Malta.

A Guardian article published on February 23, 2023, titled ‘High stress, high demand, high burnout’ highlighted the extreme pressures faced by social workers in the UK. One social worker described his job as “constant firefighting”, with unpaid overtime often extending into the night.

A Guardian survey published on September 1, 2020, was conducted by Ipsos MORI and included responses from 2,196 social workers across the UK. The findings highlighted significant concerns regarding workload, time constraints and resource limitations within the profession.

In Malta, the warning signs are stark. A recent doctoral study by senior social worker Holger Suarez, surveying 412 registered professionals, found that three out of every four frontline social workers cited burnout and administrative overload as key reasons for leaving the profession.

More than half of the registered social workers are no longer working on the frontlines, and, with fewer graduates entering the field, Malta is facing a looming shortage of qualified social workers.

Even more troubling, over 40 per cent of Suarez’s respondents felt that social work is undervalued by both the public and other professionals.

The result? Despite meaningful progress in areas like LGBTIQ+ equality and disability rights, the broader care sector is stretched to its limits. Burnout, rigid bureaucratic structures and underfunding have pushed dedicated professionals to the brink.

Malta risks hollowing out a profession that is vital to the protection and well-being of its most vulnerable citizens

In response to staffing shortages within the social work sector, the Maltese government has introduced the role of “social welfare professionals” – individuals who typically hold degrees in humanities-related fields but lack formal training in social work and are not regulated by the Social Work Profession Board.

Although this measure may be intended as a temporary solution, it has sparked serious concerns about the quality and safety of services provided. Assigning such individuals tasks traditionally reserved for qualified social workers – such as conducting case reviews and risk assessments – raises important questions about their ability to meet established professional and ethical standards.

A further step was taken in April 2024 when parliament passed the Social Work Profession (Amendment) Act, which broadens the criteria for obtaining a social work warrant to include qualifications from institutions accredited by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority.

In the Maltese context, although institutions like MCAST – now able to offer social work courses following the passing of this law alongside the University of Malta – offer social work-related qualifications, the number of graduates still falls short of meeting the sector’s growing needs.

Despite this legislative change, significant concerns remain. Critics argue that expanding eligibility without ensuring the quality of training could weaken professional standards. Furthermore, the Maltese Association of Social Workers (MASW) has criticised the government for implementing these changes without proper consultation, highlighting the importance of involving key stakeholders in decisions that directly affect both the profession and the vulnerable populations it serves.

The International Federation of Social Workers (Europe) has publicly expressed “deep concern” about the practice of assigning Social Work Development Professionals to carry out tasks that should be undertaken by qualified social workers. The federation emphasised the risks this poses to vulnerable service users and the broader implications for undermining the value of accredited training and professional recognition within the field.

In Malta, the title of social worker is protected by law and requires a formal warrant, which certifies that the individual has undergone recognised professional training and adheres to the ethical guidelines set by the profession.

Of note is that warranted social workers are required to engage in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to maintain their registration. CPD ensures that practitioners stay competent and up to date, reinforcing the importance of structured training and lifelong learning as essential components of responsible social work practice.

From my own experience as a lecturer in social work at the University of Malta, and previously as a lecturer in health and social care at MCAST, I have observed that many young professionals enter the social care and social work fields with idealistic expec­tations. However, they often become disillusioned and leave the profession due to the overwhelming demands and the lack of adequate support available to them.

The work overload they face is exemplified by the Foundation of Social Welfare Services. In its 2023 annual report, the FSWS revealed a significant rise in the number of cases handled by Child Protection Services, increasing from 2,306 cases in 2020 to 4,360 in 2023. The waiting list for cases also grew from 6.8% in 2020 to 14% in 2023. Currently, the department receives approximately 200 new child abuse reports every month, or around six reports daily.

FSWS chief executive Alfred Grixti emphasised that the high caseloads are largely due to mandatory reporting of child abuse, which became law in 2021. Despite this increased demand, the department only has 55 staff members, including managerial positions.

Grixti noted that, with a caseload of 25 cases per worker, around 96 staff members are needed, leaving the department 49 people short. As a result, Child Protection Services had the highest percentage of unallocated cases in 2023 at 14%, far exceeding other departments with unallocated case percentages ranging from 9% to 0.1%.

If the current trajectory continues, Malta risks hollowing out a profession that is vital to the protection and wellbeing of its most vulnerable citizens. The combined impact of high burnout, inadequate recruitment, lack of meaningful consultation and the erosion of professional standards poses a serious threat to both public trust and the overall effectiveness of social services.

Addressing this growing crisis requires more than temporary measures; it calls for sustained investment in education and training, including the timely recruitment and replacement of lecturing staff who have resigned or retired, be it at MCAST or the University of Malta, adequate workforce planning, supportive working conditions and a renewed societal commitment to recognising and valuing the social work profession.

Without these, we are not only failing current social workers – we are putting the very people they are meant to support at greater risk.

Damian Spiteri is a lecturer in Social Work at the University of Malta. He has previously lectured at the University of York and the University of Strathclyde.