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- In it together: achieving quality outcomes for young people with complex needs
- Laming report action plan - LGA on the day briefing
- Sector-led response to the Laming report
- Laming report - LGA on the day briefing
- Respect and protect: respect, recruitment and retention in children's social work
- Safeguarding vulnerable groups act 2006: provisions in relation to office holders
- Independent review mechanism (fostering)
- Children's Plan
- Looked after children inquiry - LGA submission
- Home Affairs Select Committee Inquiry into Human Trafficking - LGA response
- Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked
- Guidance on the Duty to Promote Community Cohesion
- Ofsted’s Strategic Plan 2007-2010
- Roles and tasks of social work in England
- Children in trouble matter
- Every Child Matters: Inspection of Children’s Services
- LGA Chairman’s summit on protecting children without ruining society
Respect and protect: respect, recruitment and retention in children's social work
Across the country one in ten social worker posts are unfilled and this figure urgently needs to be reduced so we can protect children effectively.
The LGA publication "Respect and protect" launches an LGA campaign 'Respect, Recruit, Retain' - in order to recruit and retain child social workers.
The report shows that:
- One in ten child social worker post are vacant at any one time
- Of those councils who experience recruitment difficulties, 89% had trouble recruiting experienced children social workers
- Around 5,500 child social workers are agency staff.
A survey of councils carried out by the Local Government Association, Improvement and Development Agency and Local Government Employers, between July and September of 2008, found that :-
- Two in three reported problems recruiting children’s social workers, almost double the number reporting problems recruiting adult social workers
- Four in ten reported problems in retaining children’s social workers compared to one in four reporting problems retaining adult social workers.
Over the coming months the LGA will be taking this campaign directly to government and opposition parties so that we can build a cross-party consensus to ensure that children are better protected, lives are not lost when this could have been prevented, and children's social workers are given what they need to get the job done.
Read more about the campaign launch in our press release - see right.
See also
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Recruitment drive launched to tighten child protection safety net - LGA media release The first ever national campaign to respect, recruit and retain child social workers will be launched today with a drive to recruit 5,000 professionals who have recently left to tighten the safety net and reduce the chance of children dying from abuse or neglect.
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Respect and protect: respect, recruitment and retention in children's social work Across the country one in ten social worker posts are unfilled and this figure urgently needs to be reduced so we can protect children effectively. This publication launches an LGA campaign 'Respect, Recruit, Retain' - in order to recruit and retain child social workers.
Useful links
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Children and young people section - IDeA website Local authorities must take the lead in ensuring that all agencies work effectively together to ensure that all children and young people in their area are happy, safe and reach their potential. The IDeA works with local authorities, including lead members for children’s services, to deliver better outcomes for children and young people.
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Respect and protect - education and young people section on the LGE website