Sabbatical Leave for Social Workers

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry is able to build sabbatical leave into the careers of social workers, given the highly demanding and emotional nature of social work.

The work of social workers can be demanding and emotionally draining. To support them, the Ministry and the National Council of Social Service have implemented a range of measures for their development and self-care.

In 2008, we introduced the Sabbatical Leave Scheme. Under the scheme, social workers who have served at least five years in the social service sector can apply for up to 10 weeks of paid leave to recharge and refresh themselves. It also provides social workers with funding to engage in professional development. Over the past five years, about 60 social workers have benefited from the Sabbatical Leave Scheme with funding amounting to about $1.3 million.