Issue - decisions

Children's Social Worker Recruitment and Retention Challenges (strategy and support)

06/12/2017 - Recruitment and Retention - Children's Social Care

The Chair welcomed Tracy Poole-Nandy, Head of Service Children's Social Care – Central; and Aasiyah Gurjee, Social Worker, to the meeting.

 

The report presented stated that the Retention and Recruitment Strategy within Children's Social Care had been implemented to proactively recruit within this field motivated, and where possible experienced social workers to work across the areas of childcare social work in Lancashire. There had been a number of improvements made in the way Lancashire now recruit by means of recruitment events across the county outside of ordinary working hours to enable those in employment to attend and learn about the positive opportunities available.

 

Members were informed that to ensure that social work staff were adequately supported as part of their induction, the service had now developed a social work academy which supported new staff in gaining all of the pertinent training, equipment and knowledge of policies, procedures and structure to help them in their transition into this role.

 

It was important to improve the retention of good social work staff and in order to do so there had to be the appropriate management support in place and guidance from experienced managers. In addition, career pathways for social workers was identified as an area for further work to enable them to remain within practice as well as the working environments.

 

Resolved: That;

 

  i.  The report presented be noted.

  ii.  The Recruitment and Retention Strategy of social workers in Lancashire be noted.

  iii.  The Social Work Academy Programme which forms part of the retention strategy be noted.

  iv.  An update on the Recruitment and Retention Strategy be reported to the Children's Services Scrutiny Committee in six months' time.