Reframing Adult Social Work
If you spend any time working in adult social work in Scotland, you will know that the system feels as though it’s under enormous and constant strain. Rising demand, workforce shortages, financial constraints, and a growing gap between policy ambition and everyday operational reality shape almost every conversation in the sector. These challenges feature strongly in Social Work Scotland’s recent reports on the state and future of social work and social care funding, and in the testimonies of people who draw on support.
But when the story we tell becomes almost entirely a story of pressure and crisis, something important happens. The possibility of change begins to shrink, public understanding narrows, and the sense that social care is simply “broken” hardens, making people less likely to believe that improvement is achievable.
This is precisely the concern raised in the IMPACT/University of Stirling paper Influencing Public Perceptions of Adult Social Care in Scotland. The discussion paper was written by Richard Brunner and Jennifer Wallace and builds on an already existing body of evidence to highlight the potential of framing, and I recently had the pleasure of attending a workshop to explore the implications of their work. The paper invites us to think more deeply about how we talk about adult social care (and, by association, adult social work), not as a communications exercise, but as a strategic part of how Scotland builds public and political will for change. The paper highlights that this is important because the conversations we have now, in the lead‑up to the next Scottish election and beyond, will shape the nature of service delivery in the coming years.
Why framing matters
In their paper, Brunner and Wallace remind us that everything we say is already framed. When we describe social work through a lens of crisis (staffing gaps, budget cuts, ‘failing systems’, delayed assessments) we inadvertently reinforce public mindsets that limit the appetite for reform: fatalism (“this is too big to fix”), othering (“this is about vulnerable people, not all of us”), or individualism (“people need to sort themselves out”).
All three mindsets can show up in our daily practice. Social workers are often positioned as gatekeepers of scarce resources, families feel adversarial towards the system, and the general public assumes social care is only relevant at the end of life (or for other, less fortunate people). Meanwhile, deep structural issues like the chronic underinvestment in prevention, or the widening gap between need and funding, become invisible.
Framing has already had a significant impact in Scotland with organisations such as the Poverty Alliance, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Each and Every Child adopting the approach to help incrementally shift perceptions through informed, insightful and supportive work. Even the realities painted within our own “The State and Future of Social Work and Social Care Funding in Scotland” report is far from hopeless. Social care generates nearly £2 of social and economic benefit for every £1 invested (SSSC/Skills for Care and Development Alliance, 2025). People’s lives improve when they receive early, rights‑based, relationship‑centred support. The workforce, despite exhaustion, continues to demonstrate skill, compassion, and commitment. These are not the signs of a broken system… they are signs of a strained system with enormous potential.
The question is: how do we tell an accurate, more constructive story?
Adult social work as an essential infrastructure
One of the most powerful insights from Brunner and Wallace’s paper is the idea that social care must be reframed as part of Scotland’s social infrastructure, and for it to be viewed as fundamental to a fair and thriving society, much like the NHS or our education system. In our recently published “A call to action: Scotland in your hands”, Social Work Scotland highlight the vital role of the social work profession for the benefit of communities and the wider society, and to help Scotland thrive.
This frames social work not as a crisis responder but as an enabler of independence, dignity, and connection. It aligns closely with what we know from lived experience evidence: that when people have continuity, flexibility, transparent communication, and rights‑based support, they flourish. When they don’t, the consequences (which include isolation, uncertainty, stress, and emotional harm) significantly impact individuals, families and communities.
The way we talk about these dynamics matters. When we focus solely on unmet need, waiting lists, and budget pressures, we tell only one half of the story. The other half, which identifies the potential, can often struggle to find a voice.
What if we described our work differently?
Brunner and Wallace focus on social care (as opposed to social work) in their paper and propose metaphors that help people immediately “get” the role of social care without needing a policy background:
- Social care as scaffolding – supporting people to rebuild or maintain their lives, giving structure and stability where needed. This is also featured in the framework used by Each and Every Child in reframing how we talk about children with care experience.
- Social care as a foundation – something that underpins our collective wellbeing, just as strong foundations underpin a building.
- Social care as the thread in the fabric – holding communities together, preventing tears from becoming rips.
At the recent workshop, they also explored social care as a glue which bonds all the various aspects of a person’s life together. I must admit having a visceral reaction to the use of “scaffolding” as it felt industrial, hiding the beauty behind mechanical processes, but I understand the attempt to use metaphors to aid understanding. These metaphors do feel relevant when viewed alongside the difficult realities described in the Social Work Scotland reports. They help make space for the idea that while the current pressures are real, they are not permanent or inevitable. They are the consequence of choices…and different choices are possible.
What the issues look like when we reframe them
Using the approach outlined in Brunner and Wallace’s paper, I want to give brief examples of how reframing some of the current issues within adult social work might look:
- Workforce pressures
Instead of describing a workforce in perpetual crisis, we could describe a workforce whose value is not yet matched by investment and show how Fair Work principles, professional development, and parity with the NHS are key to unlocking sustainability. Our Social Work Scotland reports make clear that poor retention is driven by structural issues, not a lack of vocation.
- Cuts to SDS budgets
Rather than presenting cuts as isolated decisions, reframing highlights that these are symptoms of a wider funding gap, one that undermines rights and independence, and one that impacts other vital services across communities (such as police, health, and education). This focuses attention on system‑level solutions, not disputes between families and practitioners, or siloed competition for resource allocation.
- Unmet need and waiting lists
Instead of describing an overwhelming backlog, reframing positions early intervention and prevention as the rational, cost‑effective alternative. I would also argue that the blueprint for this is already there in the plethora of recently published policy documents which puts emphasis on early intervention and prevention which, evidence suggests, saves money and improves outcomes. Therefore, the profession can lean into this and use these policies to support action.
In each case, reframing takes us from “crisis is inevitable” to “change is possible”.
Shaping a new public story together
Reframing does not mean sanitising the truth. It means telling the whole truth, which includes the parts that show why social work is worth investing in, and as a profession, we are uniquely placed to lead this shift. We understand the pressures, but we also see the possibilities – the moments where good practice transforms lives; the everyday dignity and compassion of the workforce; the potential of early, rights‑based approaches; and the difference it makes when people are truly heard. Those social workers who are in management and leadership positions are perhaps better placed to lead these communications across their organisations, and across their professional networks.
So, this is an invitation to begin noticing the frames we use, to consider the use of metaphors that resonate, and to emphasise fairness, interdependence and collective gain. Ideally, we want to move the public narrative from one that views social work as a profession in crisis, to viewing social work as an essential infrastructure across communities, societies, and the lifespan. In doing so, we can help Scotland see adult social work for what it truly is: a vital, skilled, life‑enhancing aspect of our social fabric…deserving of investment, attention, and hope.
References:
Social Work Scotland (2026) paper: The State and Future of Social Work and Social Care Funding in Scotland
Richard Brunner and Jennifer Wallace’s (2025) discussion paper: Influencing Public Perceptions of Adult Social Care in Scotland
SSSC & Skills for Care and Development Alliance (2024): Economic and social value of the adult social care sector: Scotland
Websites for the organisations and projects mentioned who have already embraced framing:
https://www.povertyalliance.org/
https://eachandeverychild.co.uk/
Neil Gibson, Adult Social Work Policy and Practice Lead, Social Work Scotland
