Supplementary memorandum submitted by
James Brown, Managing Director, Social Work 2000
I found the experience very interesting and
sensed that there was a keenness from the Children, Schools and
Families Committee to hear more about the part that social work
agencies play in Children's Services. Having sat through the following
session with Baroness Morgan I heard a continuing theme. This
week I attended a Public Policy Exchange session looking at Recruitment
and Retention in Children's Services. There I heard some very
negative views about the role of agencies.
Hence, the committee may be interested in the perspective
of one agency.
THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE
AGENCY WORK
FORCE
Agencies play a very large part in the recruitment
and retention of social workers in the market place. Our own agency
alone supply a significant proportion of the social work force
in 5 local authorities and one Primary Care Trust. They would
be left with serious shortages if we no longer supplied. There
is a great deal of appreciation of the service provided and the
organisations work well together.
JUST A
SHORT FIX?
The temporary work force can provide a focused
and effective solution to specific needs of organisations providing
children's services. The service is considerably more than a "clearing
house" and at it's best involves skillful matching between
locums and the needs of the organisation.
CONTINUITY
There is evidently a view that the temporary
workforce can lead to a lack of continuity in service to children.
This is not always the case. Locums can undertake extensive pieces
of work over more than short periods of time. Our very skilled
workers have strong values and professional skills and will see
their work through to conclusion. We have evidence of permanent
staff starting and finishing periods of employment in shorter
periods of time than a locum.
DOING IT
FOR THE
MONEY
I did hear a view suggesting that Newly Qualifed
Social Workers leave permanent work after gaining some experience
because the rewards are greater with agencies. There does need
to be some real like with like comparisons. The locum may achieve
what appears to be a higher net pay in the short term. However,
when balanced with the value of sick pay and pensions the gap
may not be as great as imagined. The locums also place themselves
at considerable risk in terms of job security, effectively placing
themselves on 24 hour notice.
TRAINING
My ASWEB colleagues felt that I significantly
understated the level of input from some agencies into training
post qualifying.
SAFE RECRUITMENT
The expertise of the best Social Work agencies
in Safe Recruitment practices must not be underestimated. They
apply the highest standards in vetting and selecting social workers
and should have an opportunity to contribute to national standards.
CENTRALISED PAY
FOR SOCIAL
WORKERS
Very close to my heart. Up to the late 1980s
there was a very clear set of pay scales for social workers which
left every single social worker in the country in no doubt as
to what they would earn according to their level of experience.
Progression from Level 1 to Level 2 to Level 3 and on to Senior
Practitioner and management did not leave a great deal for manoeuvre
for employers. It also ensured safe development and career progression
for practitioners. The abolition of centralised pay has blown
the market wide open. It has possibly led to the proliferation
of agencies. It must be said that many very inexperienced social
workers demand and command an income far in excess of their ability.
As an agency we are powerless to prevent this as it is fuelled
by demand from hiring managers.
What type of induction or support do newly-qualified
social workers get if they come to work for an agency?
In some agencies there is a considerable level of
support as we help them pick their way through a difficult job
market. Induction varies from employer to employer but where it
is good it leads to best performance. There can be restricted
access to developmental opportunities.
How is post-qualification training managed and
funded when someone might be moving around to different employers?
Access to funding is very definitely restricted.
All agencies now operate on very restricted margins which make
it difficult to invest in development.
Is there a problem with lack of continuity in
professional supervision for agency social workers?
Yes.
July 2009
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