The practice of offering social workers welcome payments of up to £8,000 to take on roles in children’s services departments – often in high-pressure teams such as family assessment and safeguarding – is becoming increasingly commonplace as councils try to compete with higher pay rates offered by agencies and ensure they recruit and retain sufficient staff during the year-long squeeze on living standards.
Latest Department for Education figures, published in February, show that the number of children and family social worker vacancies in 2022 was 7,900, up more than a fifth on the previous year’s figures and the highest rate since 2017.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
