Buckinghamshire offers social workers £5,000 'golden hello'

The “golden hello” payments are part of a £1.4m investment in the recruitment and retention of children’s social workers aimed at helping turn around the “inadequate”-rated department.

Under the plan, incentive payments of between £2,625 for qualified children’s social workers rising to £5,125 for posts in its First Response Team are on offer.

In addition to wanting to attract experienced staff from other authorities, Buckinghamshire Council is also paying a retention bonus of £3,250 for existing social care workers, and up to £8,250 for specific posts in the First Response Team, which deals with children and young people at risk of physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

A lump sum allowance of £1,000 is being offered to children and family workers who want to train as qualified social workers, while improved relocation, care allowance and sabbatical opportunities are also on offer.

Cabinet member for children’s services Lin Hazell said the council had “no choice” but to offer the payments to attract staff.

"This investment is vital if we are to attract and retain the very best children's social workers in high-cost areas like Buckinghamshire,” she said.

“Currently, agency staff costs are up to 50 per cent higher, so it makes financial sense to invest in recruiting and retaining our own workers. It also means a more stable workforce which is better for the children and families that need our help.?

"It's rare that the council considers enhanced rates for specific staff, however the marketplace for qualified and experienced children's social care workers is under so much pressure that the council had to react. ?

"We've also taken the decision to pay more for specific posts in our First Response Team, as they deal first-hand with children and young people at risk of physical, emotional and sexual abuse."

The investment follows a recent Ofsted inspection report that criticised social work practice and management at the council. It found records that were full of inaccuracies and “poor quality” supervision of social workers.

The report, published in August, also criticised the high case loads held by practitioners and the overreliance on temporary staff. It stated: “The workforce instability means frequent changes of social worker for children and makes it harder for them to build meaningful and trusting relationships with them.”

The incentive payments – agreed by the council at a meeting earlier this week and due to come in from April – are part of the council’s recovery programme developed following the Ofsted verdict. This included appointing David Johnston as its new managing director for children’s social care and learning in November.