Social workers losing faith after Baby P

November 11, 2009 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

Social workers have increasingly left their profession in the last year according to a survey issued by the Local Government Association.

A recent survey conducted by the U.K.’s Local Government Association has revealed that of those city and county councils that have experienced difficulties with staff retention, nearly 60 percent are having trouble retaining child care workers, up from 40 percent last year.

The LGA is worried that the data suggests child care workers are fleeing the profession, especially after the events surrounding the Baby P case. Additional strains on the child care, adoption, and social welfare systems may have also been contributing factors.

Shireen Ritchie, chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People board, believes children’s social workers have been “put through the mill”.

“The vilification of children’s social workers has increased the risk of harm to some children by opening up gaps in the safety net which works so hard to protect them,” said Ritchie.

Over one-third of councils told the LGA that the situation has worsened despite an increase in salaries and other incentives. In order to improve recruitment, the Liverpool City Council has posted more than 30 new job opportunities coupled with support programs to aid new trainees. The West Sussex County Council has taken a different approach, offering a free “return-to-work” course and advertising careers in social work on a dedicated web site.

Ritchie believes the key to recruiting efforts lies within how councils and agencies address their workers and their workers’ needs.

“Councils have a job to do to make sure social workers feel valued and supported. Different programs to recruit and develop children’s social workers are being provided by town halls across the country depending on what their local areas need.”

Children’s Minister Delyth Morgan recognized both the difficulties faced by social workers today and the importance they play in society.

“There is no doubt about the challenges faced by the frontline over the last year,” she said. “Social workers do a job which is complex and difficult at the best of times but which saves lives.”

The Children’s Workforce Development Council, funded by the government, has been running a new campaign “to recruit high calibre social workers to support children and families” called Be the Difference. Morgan said that more than 30,000 people have applied for more information about social work since its launch.