Issue - meetings

Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers across the Council

Meeting: 07/10/2014 - Cabinet (Item 101)

101 Actions to recruit and retain social workers

Report by Corporate Directors Dr Carlton Brand, Carolyn Godfrey and Maggie Rae

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet Member Councillor Stuart Wheeler presented the report which provided Cabinet with an update on all of the actions being taken, and planned, to improve the recruitment and retention of social workers across the Council following the agreement of the Corporate Leadership Team on 23 June to pay market supplements to specific social worker roles.

 

Councillor Wheeler commended the report and drew the meeting’s attention to some of the issues highlighted in the report: that Human Resources had been looking carefully as to how to best identify and recruit social workers and then how to retain them; that work had been undertaken that sought to improve the perception of Wiltshire within the Social Work profession; and that the Council was seeking to address the specific pressures faced by social workers working with children.

 

It was noted that the Council was exploring new avenues of recruitment, using social/web media and targeted advertising in print media. The report also emphasised the importance of retaining staff; making staff feel valued and getting them to enhance their expertise and standing; the use training/education to enhance workforce skills and progression; and how technology could be used to get workers away from their desks and into the Community. Addressing these areas could improve staff motivation and satisfaction in their roles which could have a significant effect on the ability of the Council to retain staff.

 

Cabinet Member Councillor Laura Mayes noted that the Council was quite successful in recruiting newly qualified social worker, but there was an identified need to support and retain more qualified staff. Early indications were that the new approach appeared to be working, with 225 applications and 20 offers made in a recent recruitment round. She would be looking to reduce the number, currently at 38, of agency staff over the next year, and hopefully sooner, as the recruitment process progressed.

 

Cabinet Member Councillor Keith Humphries also commended the report, and informed the meeting that there were currently 12 vacancies within adult social work teams and these were in the more qualified positions. He welcomed the idea of an academy and would like to explore opportunities to extend this, in the future, to train other staff such as those in public health. The Leader mentioned the need to consider how the integration of Health and Social Care and the needs for a different type of workforce would be taken into account.

 

Resolved:

 

That cabinet note and support the actions being taken and planned to recruit and retain social workers in operational children’s services and adult social care with an update to Cabinet in 6 months.

 

Reason for decision: To improve the recruitment and retention of experienced social workers and social work managers.