Unison's survey of social workers, published today, found six out of 10 work in teams where more than a fifth of posts are vacant. A similar number said that unqualified or inexperienced staff are more likely to be doing child protection work than in 2003, while three-quarters said average caseloads for social workers have increased since 2003. Half of all respondents said social work services are worse resourced than in 2003.
The union is calling for the implementation of its 10-point action plan. Its demands include all child protection visits to be made by two practitioners; an urgent action plan to fill vacancies and review staffing levels; and national caseload management standards to be regularly audited by councils. It also wants a campaign to promote positive public awareness about what social work achieves.
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