Decision details

RESOLVED

(a) that more competitive salaries for experienced social workers in the harder to recruit to teams be endorsed by implementing a salary supplement approach for identified posts combined with a retention payment for specific hard to recruit to roles in identified hard to recruit to teams, as outlined in full in section 3.1 of the Report;

(b) that more business support and family practitioner capacity be introduced in the Service to mitigate the risks from vacancies of social workers in hard to recruit to child protection teams to free social workers up from administrative tasks and to support social workers with direct work with children and families, outlined in full in section 3.2 of the Report;

(c) that a career progression opportunity for Personal Advisers be introduced, and to add two qualified social workers and two Education, Employment and Training Workers into the care leaver service to develop the workforce, as per section 3.3 of the Report;

(d) that the costs of further overseas recruitment for qualified social workers be funded, as outlined in full in section 3.4 of the Report;

(e) that the costs of the Leave to Remain application for overseas staff be funded, as outlined at section 3.5 of the Report;

(f) that the offer of bursaries and apprenticeships as social work qualifying pathways be increased, as outlined in section 3.6;

(g) that the Social Work Academy be expanded to extend the learning and development offer and improve workforce development and career progression across the children’s social care workforce as outlined in full in section 3.7 of the Report;

(h) that the professional registration for all non-agency employees working in identified roles in the identified hard to recruit teams who are required to hold professional registration to practice as a social worker be funded, as per section 3.8;

(i) that the relocation allowance for targeted staff in hard to recruit to teams be increased, as outlined in full in section 3.9;

(j) that a fixed term Workforce and Recruitment Lead, a Marketing Officer and administration role to support social worker recruitment be created, as outlined in full in section 3.10; and

(k) that an initial investment of £1.1 millions in 2021/22 from reserves be approved and consideration of a base budget increase of £3.4 millions as part of the 2022/23 budget setting process to fund the above proposals and the creation of 48 additional FTE.