In 2010, Essex County Council's social workers had unacceptably high caseloads, with some dealing with up to 90 cases. Staff turnover was high and there was a heavy reliance on agency workers.
Fast forward to 2017 and Essex has reduced its use of agency staff to just 0.4 per cent while caseloads have fallen to around 12 per social worker. "We currently have less than 50 vacancies, and for a county as big as Essex that's a huge achievement," says Sukriti Sen, director of local delivery for the council's family operations department.
At the heart of this turnaround is the Essex Social Care Academy (ESCA). Set up in 2012, it is described as "the engine that keeps the service running". The training and continuous professional development (CPD) it offers has been key to disseminating shared values about ways to work with families throughout children's services, as well as improving conditions for social workers and thus driving recruitment and retention - a virtuous circle which leads to greater stability for children and families in the county.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
