Reflecting on Moral Injury in Social Care: A Conversation Our Workforce Has Needed
This week, I had the privilege of delivering a session on Moral Injury in Social Care, commissioned by Social Care Wales as part of the Early Years and Childcare Conference.
Although “moral injury” isn’t a term most people encounter day-to-day, it resonated deeply with the room. As we explored what it means, practitioners, students, assessors, managers, and leaders recognised themselves in the concept almost immediately.
That tells us something important:
social care carries an emotional and ethical weight that is often felt, but rarely named.
What People Told Me After the Session
The feedback that followed was overwhelmingly positive and heartfelt. Many attendees said they found the session:
Highly relevant to their daily work
Reassuring and grounding
Both enjoyable and reflective
Delivered in a way that felt human, safe, and accessible
But what came through most strongly was this:
people appreciated finally having language for something they’ve been carrying quietly for a long time.
One person messaged to say:
“I didn’t know what moral injury was before today. Now I can see it clearly in the moments that have stayed with me. It’s a relief to have words for it.”
And when we have language, we can have conversations.
And when we have conversations, we can begin to heal.
Why Moral Injury Matters in Social Care
Social care is a sector built on relationships, human connection, dignity, and values. Whether working with children, adults, families, people with disabilities, older people, or those experiencing crisis — social care professionals enter this field because they want to make a difference.
But moral injury arises when those values collide with the realities of practice:
Policies that conflict with what feels ethically right
Lack of resources, staffing, or time
Systems that prioritise process over people
Doing what is required, even when it doesn’t align with professional judgment
Witnessing poor practice and feeling unable to intervene
Carrying responsibility without adequate support
These moments create an internal conflict, not just stress or pressure.
They can affect confidence, wellbeing, relationships, and long-term commitment to the profession.
That’s why recognising moral injury isn’t optional — it’s essential for a healthy, resilient social care workforce.
What We Explored in the Session
Together, we looked at:
The three types of moral injury
How moral injury differs from burnout or PTSD
Real examples from social care practice
What helps (and what doesn’t)
Lessons from the NHS and emergency services
The power of naming the emotional impact of the work
Supporting the Workforce: A Shared Responsibility
One of our strongest conclusions was this:
We can’t always change the pressures of the system, but we can change how we support each other within it.
This means:
Leaders modelling openness and ethical clarity
Teams having space to talk without fear of judgment
Practitioners recognising signs of moral strain in themselves
Students being prepared for the realities of ethical tension
Organisations embedding structures for reflection, not just compliance
Moral injury is not about weakness.
It is about caring deeply and being confronted with the limits of the systems we work in.
How H2t Helps
At Here2There (H2t), we specialise in creating environments where individuals, teams, and organisations can thrive — even in challenging systems. Our work includes:
Reflective practice and supervision
Workforce development focused on wellbeing and values
Moral injury and ethical resilience training
Coaching (including Level 7 executive coaching)
Human-centred technology that helps people feel heard
Supportive communities such as WellNuts Parents, connecting families and professionals
Sessions like this reaffirm our belief that wellbeing and ethical reflection must be built into the culture, not added on top.
A Final Reflection
To everyone who attended the session: thank you for the honesty, courage, and compassion you brought into the space.
Moral injury may not be a comfortable topic, but it is a necessary one. When we talk about it, we reduce isolation. When we understand it, we reclaim our values. And when we support each other through it, the entire sector grows stronger.
I look forward to continuing this conversation — and helping organisations across social care build the cultures and tools that allow people to do their best work, without losing themselves in the process.
