Council offers £15,000 mortgage deposit to attract children's social workers

Derby City Council's recruitment drive will see successful candidates get an initial £5,000 for relocating to the East Midlands city and a further £10,000 after a six-month probation period.

The council is currently short of around 25 children's social workers. If new recruits leave the authority within five years, they will have to repay the money.

Maureen Darbon, service director for early help and children’s safeguarding at Derby Council, said: “We don’t have a problem recruiting newly qualified social workers but we do have a problem recruiting experienced social workers.

"This scheme is specifically aimed at recruiting 20 experienced workers. We are offering them £5,000 relocation money which they can access immediately.

“If they pass their probation period we are offering a further £10,000 as a mortgage subsidy. With the two together, you have a £15,000 deposit on a house.”

Darbon said that currently between a quarter and a fifth of social workers in children’s services are agency staff, a situation that is proving expensive for the local authority.

Maris Stratulis, England manager at the British Association of Social Work, said the drive was a good example of an authority thinking outside the box to recruit social workers.

“In the face of high vacancy rates, councils must be creative and innovative if they are to get the staff they need,” she said. "It’s great to see incentive schemes like this being used. They also underline how much social workers are needed.

“Such initiatives must be run in parallel with investment in workforce development, providing a supportive and conducive work environment that truly values the worth and contribution of skilled and experienced social workers."