Loyalty payments made to social workers who stay in a role within one local authority for at least two years are becoming increasingly common as record numbers of people leave the profession.
In 2022, children’s services lost 5,400 full-time equivalent social workers, up almost a tenth on the previous year, latest Department for Education figures show.
The figures reveal that the number of social workers has fallen for the first time since 2017 while both caseloads and sickness rates increase.
The results of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request sent by CYP Now to all 151 local authorities finds that more than one in 10 councils now offers a retention package to social workers often in teams with high turnovers.
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