Councils struggling to recruit social workers in wake of Baby P, survey reveals

LGA press release - 5 May 2009

The findings of a new survey today lay bare the difficulties councils across the country are facing in recruiting and retaining child social workers to keep vulnerable children safe in the wake of the Baby P case.

The findings are from a survey of councillors in charge of children’s services, undertaken by the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England.  It reveals that three out of five councils are experiencing difficulties in recruiting children’s social workers. Two out of five councils are reporting difficulties retaining the staff they have and the same number thinks recruitment of child social workers will get even harder over the next six months.

Council leaders say that a long term drive is needed to raise the status and recruitment of social workers, similar to that which has transformed the teaching profession over the last decade. They say this will ensure that the brightest and best staff are attracted to working to ensure vulnerable children are better protected.

According to the survey:

• 57 per cent say that, over the last six months, it has got more difficult to recruit child social workers
• Of these, 87 per cent say they are having difficulties recruiting the frontline staff who protect vulnerable children
• 38 per cent say that, over the last six months, they have been finding it more difficult to retain children’s social workers
• Of these, 91 per cent say they are having difficulties keeping frontline workers
• 40 per cent expect the recruitment of children’s social workers to get harder over the next six months

Chairman of the Local Government Association, Cllr Margaret Eaton, said:

“These figures confirm the fear that councils are really struggling to recruit and keep the expert staff they need to ensure that vulnerable children are safe. The way in which the profession has been attacked over recent months has had a highly damaging effect on councils’ ability to get the expert staff they need to protect children at risk.

“In the short term, we must encourage people who have recently left social work back to the front line to help keep children safe. There are real difficulties for councils in recruiting and retaining high calibre social worker staff. If lessons from recent cases are to be learnt, we must look to the future and recruit and retain staff so they can protect the most vulnerable children in society.

“Being a child social worker is amongst the toughest jobs in Britain but it is vital that the profession is seen as attractive, as well as challenging. Protecting vulnerable children is one of the most important jobs local councils do and they are committed to doing it as well as they possibly can.

“The recent sad events shine a light on the huge responsibility councils bear in working with the most vulnerable children and families, and the equally huge responsibility we ask children’s social workers to carry out on our behalf. Boosting recruitment and increasing the respect we all have for child social workers is the surest way to make sure that the best and brightest staff are working to protect our vulnerable children.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The Local Government Association represents more than 350 councils in England.
2. An on-line survey was sent out to 165 councillors in charge of Children’s Services in English local authorities between 23 April and 1 May 2009.  A total of  56 responded, a response rate of  34 per cent.