I learnt early in my social work career that social work can easily take over your life. Social work to do list helped me manage my time effectively after trying different approaches.
To begin with, I learned some useful tips, focused most on my cases and tried to stay on top of emails, voice messages, reports at all times.
In doing this, I took work home with me, missed tea and sometimes lunch breaks just to ensure I have covered everything. I did this each day, hoping that the next day will be better. However, this was not the case, and it carried on for a long time.
Management allocated cases weekly, and this meant I had more phone calls coming in, reports to type, emails to answer to, and less time for myself. I ended up being extremely fatigued and had a stress related illness. All because I had neglected my wellbeing and did not manage my time effectively.
In this article, I share the social work to-do list that helped me manage my time more effectively. I usually put 3- 5 realistic tasks on my to-do list, which I know can be achieved by the end of the day.
This is because the reality is I will get a lot of unplanned/emergency tasks to attend to. Hence, I keep my social work to-do list very simple to ensure I have given the tasks (case related tasks) the time it deserves.
This article contains:
- What is a social work to-do list?
- What are the tasks of a social worker?
- What should a simple social work to do list include?
- What are the 3 roles of social worker?
- What is the daily routine of a social worker?
- What are the 5 goals of social work?
- Why time management in social work?
What is a social work to-do list?
A social work to-do list is a document that helps you to organise and structure your tasks. It breaks down the tasks into manageable chunks, allowing you to prioritise them based on their importance or urgency.
A social work to-do list can also help you track the progress of current tasks, identify areas where you might need extra help or resources, and set goals.
Below are 2 templates I use.
Please note that the scenarios are made up. I cross out the task once completed and case de-allocated. These templates helped me a lot to organise tasks better and gave me a clear headspace to think about next actions, risks, and reflect on my practice.
Social work to-do list template
What are the tasks of a social worker?
Social workers have a variety of tasks, depending on their specialisation. Generally, these tasks include:
- Attending to duty tasks.
- Liaising with other professionals.
- Completing urgent referrals.
- Direct work with children using social work direct working tools.
- Attending court
- Risk management
- Assessing the needs of individuals and families to determine appropriate services
- Working with clients to develop action plans to address issues such as poverty, addiction, abuse and mental illness;
- Completing support plans
- Signposting to relevant services.
- Crisit intervention
- Updating case notes
- Responding to emails
- Organising meetings
- Report writing
- Connecting clients with community
What should a simple social work to do list include?
A simple social work to-do list should include tasks that need completing, deadlines for each task, and any relevant details you need. It’s important to note down all the tasks you complete so you can track your progress and set goals in order to avoid burnout.
Additionally, it is important to have an overview of the cases you are working on, and any risk factors that might need addressing.
Finally, it is important to ensure you include a section for self-care items–this could be anything from scheduling in some ‘me time’ to taking breaks during the day.
What are the 3 roles of social worker?
1. Advocate: Advocating for the rights of clients and their families in order to ensure fair treatment.
2. Community organiser: Helping to coordinate resources within a community to meet the needs of vulnerable individuals and families.
3. Counselor: Providing informal counseling, such as support groups or one-on-one
What is the daily routine of a social worker?
The daily routine of a social worker will depend on their area of specialisation. A social worker may work with children, working-age adults or the elderly.
Generally, the day can include:
- Driving to the office.
- Starting the day with an overview–assessing emails, voice messages, and any urgent reports.
- Planning out the day–prioritising tasks in terms of importance or urgency.
- Attending internal meetings
- Carrying out direct work with clients, either in the office or out in the community.
- Attending meetings–both with colleagues and external agencies.
- Writing reports, completing assessments, and filling in case notes.
- Making referrals to other services where appropriate.
- Taking time for self-care to ensure that you can stay resilient and focused.
What are the 5 goals of social work?
1. Promote self-determination and autonomy for individuals and families.
2. Enhance well-being and quality of life for all people, with a focus on vulnerable populations.
3. Create sustainable change through advocacy, policy development, and education.
4. Support social justice and challenge social injustice.
5. Promote respect for diversity and the rights of all people.
What is time management in social work?
Time management in social work is essential for effective work-life balance as a social worker. Apart from having a social work to-do list, time management allows us to get more done, make better use of our resources, and develop healthier habits. With proper time management skills, we are able to prioritise tasks and manage stress levels more effectively in social work.
This can lead to greater productivity and higher quality work output. Time management in social work also encourages goal setting and helps us to focus on what is important.
Effective time management requires planning and practice, but it can improve our quality of life, prevent social work burnout and fatigue. It also helps us to become more organised, better able to cope with change and achieve our goals in a timely manner.
Time management is not about doing more work, but about working smarter by focusing on the right tasks at the right time.
By learning how to manage our time, we can become better at completing tasks and achieving our goals.
Time management also helps us to create a more balanced lifestyle. It encourages us to be mindful of the amount of time we spend on certain activities, allowing us to make sure social work doesn’t take over our lives.
Good time management can help us make the most of our leisure time, as well as helping us to maintain a healthy work-life balance in social work.
Learning how to manage our time effectively is an invaluable skill in social work that helps us stay organised and productive.
With practice, we can become better at managing our tasks and making the most of our available resources.
Time management can help us stay on track and achieve our goals more quickly, leading to greater satisfaction in both our lives and social work.
In conclusion, proper time management is an important skill that we should all strive to develop. It requires practice but can be incredibly beneficial. Time management helps us become more organised, productive, and balanced.
It allows us to prioritise tasks and manage stress levels more effectively, which can lead to greater satisfaction in our work and life. With time management, we can focus on the right tasks at the right time and make the most of our available resources.
By learning how to manage our time better, we can become better at completing tasks and achieving our goals.
Time management is a valuable skill that can help us unlock our potential and reach greater heights of success in social work.
It allows us to make the most of our time and resources, leading to a healthier lifestyle and a better quality of life. So start taking control of your time today! With practice, you can become an expert at time management and make the most of every moment.
By taking control of your time, you are taking control of your life. So why wait any longer? Start developing your time management skills today and reap the rewards! You will be glad you did.
Socialworkhaven.com Useful Resources
- Recommended Books – Social Work Resources for Students
Best Social Work Books Every Student Must Read is a great article full of highly recommended and engaging books. Helping student social workers to equip themselves with knowledge and skills. It is a great way to empower yourself and encourage you to read more.
- Social Work Registration
Social Work Registration: Get it done – is a useful article that walks you through the social work registration process.
- Social Work Burnout
51 Effective Ways to Fight Social Work Burnout helps practitioners explore 51 effective ways to fight Social Work Burnout. Social work burnout can affect the way we execute our role. It can cause social work stress, and a stressed social worker cannot perform their role effectively.
- Active Listening in Social Work
Why You Should Actively Listen as a Social Worker raises awareness of active listening in social work. Social work active listening involves the listener paying close attention to the speaker, making sure not to interrupt, and reflecting on what they have heard. This helps the speaker feel heard and validated, and it can also help them clarify their thoughts and feelings.
- Social Work Humour
Social Work Humour for the End of a Long Day This article explains when social work humour is important. Essential social work skills include empathy, authenticity, resilience and respect. These skills help us cope with situations and meet the needs of service users or clients. However, the best coping mechanism in social work is definitely humour.
Before you go
There is no one size fits all approach to managing time and achieving a work-life balance in social work.
This means that the social work to-do list approach or a particular time management approach will work for everyone.
You need to find the strategy that works best for you.
You can try different techniques and determine what fits with your current lifestyle and social work role. The most important thing is to stay organised, make lists, set goals, and stick to a plan.