Four in five charity employees working in social care and support services in Wales are experiencing symptoms of vicarious trauma, a new survey has found.
Charity Job Finder surveyed 78 workers and found that more than eight in 10 reported having experienced it.
Of those affected, almost half said it had impacted their health, wellbeing or ability to do their job.
Vicarious trauma is the emotional, psychological and physical effects experienced by somebody who engages with the traumatic experiences of others.
Respondents in the survey reported symptoms such as anxiety, sleep disruption, burnout, withdrawal and emotional exhaustion.
The survey found that fewer than one in 10 of those affected said the support they did receive for vicarious trauma was timely and effective.
Half felt that the issue was not taken seriously by their employer or the wider sector and almost a quarter said they received no support at all.
Some reported having to resign or reduce their hours as a result due to the impact of vicarious trauma while others said they had nowhere to turn.
Access to counselling recommended
As a result of the publication of the report, Charity Job Finder has called for better access to counselling and clinical supervision, trauma-informed management training and practical recommendations for employers and funders.
Bev Garside, senior partner at Charity Job Finder, said: “This report is a wake-up call.
“For too long, the emotional wellbeing of frontline charity workers has been treated as a personal matter – something to be quietly managed, absorbed or ignored. But vicarious trauma is not just a personal issue. It is a systemic risk.
“Organisations have a duty of care, and boards need to treat staff wellbeing as core to delivering safe, effective services.
“If people are burning out in silence, the impact is felt far beyond the individual. We cannot continue to build services on the emotional sacrifice of the workforce.”
‘Too often ignored’
Suzanne Mollison, safeguarding manager at Welsh charity umbrella body WCVA, added: “This report shines a light on something many of us in the sector have felt for a long time – that the emotional burden on staff in social care and support roles is real, widespread, and too often ignored.
“One participant put it perfectly: ‘If you claim to work with clients to help them be safe and well, you must do the same for your staff.’ That principle is central to all our safeguarding work.
“We need to build cultures where wellbeing is not seen as an optional extra, but as a core part of delivering safe, effective services.”
