New ways of working and learning can grow resilient children’s social workers | Paul Burstow

Recruitment and retention are key issues for employers in a sector where the average career span is put at eight years

We expect a great deal from children’s social workers – they work with chaotic families, they have to look into the darkest parts of society, juggle large caseloads and hold huge amounts of emotional collateral. When things go well, their work often goes unnoticed; when things go wrong, the sky falls on their head.

It is perhaps unsurprising that this story plays out in the numbers too; the vacancy rate for children’s social workers was 17% last September, according to new data published by the Department for Education. The same data suggests more than two-thirds of vacancies are covered by agency staff. A third of social workers leave the profession within two years, and the average career span is just eight years. With all this considered, workforce must be a priority for the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care.

Related: Nadhim Zahawi: Leadership key to turning round failing children's services

Related: 10 reasons to stay in child protection social work

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from Children | The Guardian http://ift.tt/2HX02nn