A social worker injury claim seeks compensation when you or a loved one is injured due to negligence by a worker in social services. 

We rely on social workers to care for the most vulnerable in society, but if they breach that duty of care, it could lead to a social worker injury claim. Social workers are trained professionals who should spot the signs of harm or potential harm in those who need protection.

Social workers have a duty of care to those they visit and are responsible for in homes and domestic situations in the UK. They must use their training to identify those at risk and take appropriate action where necessary.

Vulnerable people may suffer a personal injury due to neglect. When the social worker provides a less than professional level of care, resulting in neglect, it could be seen as social worker negligence.

A Personal Injury Team No Win No Fee solicitor can handle your social worker injury compensation claim.

Social services negligence claims

What is a social worker injury claim?

A social worker injury claim is when an adult or a child suffers injury due to neglect by a social worker, and they seek personal injury compensation. The victim of the abuse claims compensation for the effects of the injury on their lives today and in the future.

Injury by a social worker is in the news a lot these days, as is injury by neglect by a social worker in the UK. There are more than 33,000 social workers in child and family services in England with a further 7,000 agency workers in the field. 

Each social worker has an average of 16 open cases on the go at a time, and staff shortages can still cause problems.

While the numbers employed in social services are on the increase, there are still staff shortages, high caseloads and plenty of scope for neglect and negligence by a social worker or social services.

Types of social worker injury cases:

  • Failing to report cases of possible abuse claim
  • Failing to identify signs of neglect and abuse claims
  • False reporting of cases of abuse claims
  • Failing to supervise vulnerable children claims
  • Failing to support vulnerable adults claims

A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor can look at your case of social worker injury and see if you have a valid compensation claim.

social worker injury claim

How Much Is Your Claim Worth?

Take a few minutes to fill in our claim assessment form and find out how much compensation you will be entitled to.

Common social worker personal injury claims

Common social worker personal injury claims range from cases of physical abuse missed by the social worker to a lack of supervision leading to injury and failure to follow up on reports of abuse.

The social worker is a professional working in a very sensitive field. When a social worker breaches their duty of care and provides a less than professional level of service, it could result in a personal injury.

Some of the common social worker personal injury claims:

  • Failure to follow up on claims of abuse by a social worker
  • Failure to spot the signs of physical abuse by the social worker
  • Not supervising children in foster care
  • Making false allegations of abuse
  • Failing to spot the signs of neglect by a social worker

Failure to follow up on claims of abuse by a social worker

A failure to follow up on claims of abuse by a social worker can lead to a vulnerable person coming to harm or being put in a position of further danger.

The social worker is trained to work on any claims of abuse and put the correct protocols in place for the person in danger.

Types of failure to follow up on claims of abuse:

  • Not acting on a tip from a family member
  • Not acting on claims of personal injury made by a child
  • Failing to follow up on claims of abuse highlighted by colleagues

You may have a personal injury claim if the social worker fails to follow up on claims of abuse causing you further injury.

Failure to spot the signs of physical abuse by the social worker

A failure to spot the signs of physical abuse by the social workers may be a compensation claim if the child or vulnerable adult is put in danger.

The social worker must be alert to any signs of physical abuse, such as bruising, and act to keep the person safe.

Types of failure to spot signs of physical abuse:

  • Failing to notice fear in the child or vulnerable adult
  • Failing to report cuts and bruises
  • Failing to spot regular injuries and hospital visits.

You may have a claim for a lack of duty of care by a social worker if they fail to spot the signs of physical abuse you suffer when in their care.

Not supervising children in foster care

Not supervising children in foster care is a double betrayal of children who could be vulnerable to abuse and injury. The child or young adult may be put in foster care as they have already been victims of abuse. 

To fail to supervise children when in foster care could leave them open to further abuse and neglect. Every social worker has a duty to visit and assess the children in foster care and try to keep them safe from further abuse.

Children in foster care may have a claim for personal injury if they are not supervised by their social worker, and they suffer further abuse and neglect.

Are you eligible for compensation?

If you want to pursue damages for the accident you have suffered, we have a simple 3 step process to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.

  • Take our online assessment & speak with our team
  • Our team of claim specialists will undertake a full case review
  • We will send a legal letter and our solicitors will pursue your compensation on your behalf

All case reviews are 100% cost and commitment free.

Making false allegations of abuse

Making false allegations of abuse against the family or carers of vulnerable people can cause a lot of harm, and every social worker must be aware of the dangers.

Social workers are trained to spot the signs of abuse and in the protocols for reporting all allegations of abuse. It could be a breach of their duty of care if they make false allegations and cause the personal injury of mental distress.

Any children, the family, and carers of people falsely accused of abuse could suffer stress and mental anguish for many years and could have a compensation claim for the personal injury.

Failing to spot the signs of neglect by a social worker

Failing to spot the signs of neglect by a social worker could put the vulnerable person in their care in further danger. Neglect can be a subtle form of abuse that could get worse over time.

Types of failure to spot neglect can be:

  • Failure to spot children are not being fed properly
  • Failure to spot a vulnerable adult is not receiving adequate care
  • Failure to spot an elderly person is living in vulnerable conditions

The social worker should use their training to spot signs of neglect and act upon them. Any failure to act could lead to a personal injury compensation claim.

A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor can look at the case and see if you or your loved ones have a social worker injury claim for compensation.

Schedule Your Callback

Have you been involved in a personal injury? We specialise in pursuing damages to make sure you get the maximum compensation possible. It’s free and easy to speak with one of our team of claim experts.

Who is responsible for a social worker injury?

The local authority in the district is responsible for an injury caused by the neglect of a social worker when they are caring for children, adults, and the families of vulnerable people. 

Abuse and personal injury can happen in the home, care home or in foster care, and the local authority is responsible for the employees they hire or the private care companies they license.

The local authority must ensure that social workers are:

  • Fully trained in all aspects of social care
  • Only qualified social workers are employed by the council
  • Private service suppliers are fully vetted and qualified for social work
  • Protocols are in place for the reporting of abuse by vulnerable clients
  • Adequate numbers are employed in social services

If the local authority fails in its duty to provide social services of a professional standard and you or a loved one suffer a personal injury, then you may have a compensation claim.

A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor can handle your social worker injury compensation claim.

How much can you claim in social worker injury compensation?

You can claim amounts from more than £10,000 to awards of over £10 million for a personal injury due to a social worker’s breach of duty of care to those in their protection. 

Abuse and injuries can happen over many years in cases of social work personal injury neglect. Vulnerable children may not speak out until the abuse is discovered, possibly many years down the line.

Compensation claim awards for social worker personal injury:

  • Less severe cases of abuse resolved by treatment from £9,730 to £20,570
  • PTSD from abuse or being in danger of abuse from £23,150 to £59,860
  • Psychiatric damage caused by prolonged abuse from £54,830 to £115,730
  • PTSD with permanent damage due to abuse from £59,860 to £100,670
  • Permanent psychiatric injury due to sexual abuse from £45,000 to £120,000

(The figures given here are for General Damages amounts only. You will also receive compensation for any financial losses you suffer due to the personal injury. Figures are taken from Judicial College Guidelines 16th Edition and are accurate as of April 2023.)

There is not one fixed amount for a social worker injury claim, and the compensation awarded for your injury will be tailored to the circumstances of your claim.  

A No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor can tell you what to expect from their experience in personal injury compensation claims.

Personal injury claim calculator

Using the personal injury compensation calculator

Using the personal injury compensation calculator can be a guide to what is possible for any type of personal injury.

You or a loved one may have suffered due to a lack of duty of care by a social worker, but the personal injury compensation calculator will give you an idea of any possible compensation.

By looking at your type of personal injury and previous compensation awards, the calculator can be a start to your personal injury claim.

You can also get in touch directly with one of our team through the compensation calculator.

The No Win No Fee personal injury solicitor can examine your case and see if you have a valid social worker injury compensation claim.

Contact the Personal Injury Team today

Contact the Personal Injury Team today for advice and help on forming your compensation for personal injury compensation.

We have a team of solicitors and legal experts in place to guide you through what can be a complex legal process.

Our No Win No Fee team deal every day with social worker injury claims, psychiatric damage claims and medical negligence compensation.

Contact us today for your compensation for personal injury needs.

how much can you claim for personal injury