Children's services across the UK are increasingly turning to overseas social workers as they strive to fill widespread vacancies.
“Global migration of skilled professionals can help to address staff shortages and makes the workforce more diverse,” says Social Work England.
The number of vacancies in children's social work in England in 2022 was 7,900 – up by more than a fifth or 21 per cent – on the previous year, according to the latest workforce statistics from the Department for Education.
Figures from Social Work England show an increase in the number of overseas workers applying to practise in England. The regulator received 1,684 applications from children's and adult overseas social workers in 2021/22. This is a 175 per cent increase on figures for 2019/20.
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