To receive a presentation updating Members on the recruitment of children’s social workers.

Members received a presentation on children’s social worker recruitment by the Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations which provided an update to the presentation on this topic submitted to the Committee on 29 May 2014 (minute GPC/14/9 refers).

The Assistant Director stressed the importance of securing a greater percentage of in-house social workers because it provided stability in the provision of the service to those who were most vulnerable as well as being financially beneficial to the Council.  He added that nationally it was envisaged that demand for social workers would not match supply until 2022 and that the average career span was only seven years, with one in three social workers leaving their local authority in 2012/13.  The Assistant Director referred to the difficulties faced by social workers in achieving a work/life balance and the recruitment challenges which had arisen as a result of the recent high profile national failures in local authority social care and the resulting publication of highly critical reports on children’s social care standards.

The Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations then introduced his presentation which was entitled ‘Recruiting, Retaining and Inspiring Children’s Social Workers in Central Bedfordshire’.  The presentation covered the following issues:

·         What we are trying to achieve

·         National context

·         Local context and impact

·         Impact

·         Actions since May 2014

·         Current recruitment campaign

·         Recruiting and developing newly qualified social workers (ASYE’s)

·         Inspire! – the Social Work and Early Intervention Academy

·         Outcomes by November 2014

·         Challenges

·         Next Steps

·         Future developments

·         Case example: H Family

·         Financial costs of family breakdown

At the conclusion of the presentation the Chairman invited the three social workers, who were all at different stages of their careers, to speak to the Committee about their roles and their professional experience of working in Central Bedfordshire.  At the conclusion the Vice-Chairman then thanked the Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations and the social workers for helping him to understand the essential role of Market Rate Supplements in this context.

Members considered a range of issues relating to children’s social worker recruitment.  Consideration was given in particular to the issue of staff retention.  In response the Assistant Director referred to the import role played by training and career development.  Concern was expressed that the Council was training staff only for them to leave and work elsewhere but a Member emphasised that the problem of staff shortages could not be answered by local authorities appropriating each other’s employees but only by training sufficient numbers.  Members were aware of Central Bedfordshire’s Social Work and Early Intervention Academy and the meeting noted the efforts of other authorities to implement a similar approach to training provision.  The meeting was also advised that the Academy provided training for social workers from outside Central Bedfordshire thus helping to increase the pool of qualified persons.

Members expressed their thanks to the Assistant Director and the accompanying social workers for their contributions.  The Chairman added his personal thanks to them for assisting him to understand the challenges faced by their profession.  He asked that they take back the Committee’s support to their colleagues and Members’ appreciation of the difficult job they carried out.

NOTED

the presentation by the Assistant Director Children’s Services Operations which updated Members on the recruitment, retention and inspiring of children’s social workers.