SOCIAL workers are increasingly suffering social media abuse after they finish work, Unison research has warned.

Many now face being filmed without their consent during home visits and subsequent online harassment, the union’s survey of almost 1,800 social workers found.

Half also reported they had received verbal abuse when on a solo home visit in the past year, compared with two-fifths who say they encountered it when on a home visit with a colleague.

More than a quarter of those surveyed said they feel unsafe conducting home visits and the same proportion were considering leaving the profession.

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan said: “This report paints a worryingly toxic picture of what it’s like being a social worker on the front line and the risks that come with that.

“The abuse doesn’t end when a shift does. Online abuse is now an extra hazard for staff who face being harassed on social media, filmed and sent abuse.”