Well said

As a long-standing social work child protection practitioner and practice teacher who has worked in many universities social workers have become risk adverse, the practice is oppressive. Also I do not know any social workers who do not work 10 hours unpaid work per week. When this is challenged social work managers dish out literature telling works to work SMART highest case load numbers 49 cases, recently 35 cases … evidence of child centred practice we are asked for by OFSTEAD ( government) inspectors 35 children in 37 hours takes more than SMARt working. Letting children down is not a good feeling. We as a profession are not valued by society, oh my children and families work well with the relationship based values I was taught in the mid nineties

A fair days pay for a more than fair days work! Plus a felling of being valued, for protecting the vulnerable in our society.

Well said Isla. This we are leaders but we are powerless nonsense needs to be called out. ADCS are it so no more pretence. We have a saying in Northumberland for people who have the cake, eat the cake then pretend they’ve never seen the cake but I can not repeat it in a professional context!

It is no wonder that Social Workers are looking to leave LA employment and join agencies so that they can receive their real worth and LAs have to comply, that is, if they want workers to do the work. It is ‘supply and demand’, the agencies have the workers to fill the demand of LAs.

If, the Government reversed all and every austerity cut, then the supply of workers would diminish and workers would be willing to work for LAs directly.

After all MPs and Ministers do receive pay increases, but they have their independent pay review body, surely for equality LA workers should also have their independent pay review body and then they too could have their pay increases.

If he spent some time reflecting on my so many social workers prefer to work independently then he might start the process of learning why local authorities are no longer able to attract and retain experienced staff. Unsurprisingly, one of the many reasons is poor pay and working conditions. Added to that is dreadful managers who are often clueless and unsupportive. If you deal with that, you might be more successful at keeping your staff. As social workers are now at a premium (i.e. there is greater demand than supply), then if your organisation is not valuing their staff (pay, conditions, emoluments), then there are a range of other alternative providers who are only too happy to employ them instead. (or you can pay a supposed premium for their services via the agency route).

The current crisis is entirely the fault of local authorities trying to shape the market to their benefit (Yes we see your 1% pay rises if we are lucky!) . It won’t work but we will continue to see these types of articles suggesting its all the fault of those nasty agencies and independent social workers….. Utter hogwash! Get your own house in order before trying to blame others for your own failings. Pay social workers better and resolve the caseload / management issues and most of your recruitment issues will be mitigated.

If you were paying Social Workers £100k per year, there would be no recruitment issues, so the challenge is not a lack of workers, rather it is a lack of suitable remuneration for the roles you have offered. Social workers are no longer dependent on local authorities for their livelihood and the sooner you recognise this fact, the better.

Viva the revolution!