The HÉTFA Research Institute conducted a survey with social care workers as part of the CARES Erasmus+ project, focusing on their well-being, mental health and digital skills development. The CARES project is an Erasmus+ project focused on improving the lives of social care professionals by promoting inclusion, mental health, and professional growth. Recognizing the demanding nature of care work, CARES aims to empower those in the sector through targeted training, resources, and support. In this article, we summarise the survey results pertaining to Hungarian social care workers.
A survey of 143 professionals working in Hungary’s social care sector—primarily female (88%) and mostly aged over 36—highlighted key insights into their experiences, skills, and challenges. Most respondents were social workers with university degrees (66%), predominantly working in public social care (83%). Salaries were modest, with 55% earning under 1000 Euros monthly, and 43% between 1000-2000 Euros. Burnout and emotional stress were notable issues: while many found satisfaction in helping others (58% often, 31% very often) and felt connected to colleagues, significant proportions felt overwhelmed—43% sometimes, 27% often—by their workloads. Emotional impacts of work included feelings of traumatic stress (33% sometimes, 9% often) and occasional avoidance of certain tasks due to past experiences.
Key skills identified as essential for effective care included treating service-users with dignity and respect (72%), problem-solving (72%), communication (64%), conflict management (61%), empathy (60%), non-judgmental attitude (58%), flexibility (57%), and teamwork (53%). Other vital abilities were resilience (50%), emotional intelligence (50%), and analytical skills (47%). Notably, while sustainable and green skills were moderately recognized (47% each), they were less prioritized than core interpersonal and problem-solving competencies.
The main stressors contributing to burnout included insufficient payment (50%), lack of adequate supervision (39%), excessive workload (31%), and limited support (29%). Communication problems and inadequate skills for new challenges also featured prominently. Open-ended responses revealed further concerns such as outdated IT systems, high staff turnover, unclear tasks, inadequate legal frameworks, and insufficient recognition. Respondents suggested a range of improvements: better salaries, recognition, supportive management, enhanced physical conditions, modern tools and IT infrastructure, accessible professional training, emotional supervision, legal protections, clearer regulations, and increased staffing levels. They also called for more flexible work schedules, improved teamwork, and simplified administrative processes to reduce burdens and improve job satisfaction in the sector.
In terms of digital and sustainable practices, respondents advocated for better mandatory digital systems and tools to support daily tasks, alongside essential digital training for staff. Many highlighted the need for sustainable measures such as energy-efficient solutions to reduce overhead costs and improved waste management systems. Respondents also emphasized the value of ongoing dialogue for service development, sharing best practices, and access to diverse literature to support professional growth. Broader concerns, including insufficient wages, limited social recognition, over-regulation, the need for training, and the burdens of administrative tasks, were seen as key factors impacting their work experience and overall professional satisfaction.
