If you are looking for evidence of just how tough a job it is to be a director of children's services (DCS) at the moment, the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS) conference provided it.
As the curtain comes down on this Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, it is worth reflecting on what we've learnt from the past five years - as it looks increasingly likely that the future holds more of the same.
A number of reports over the past few weeks have highlighted the extent of the problem facing children's services departments in recruiting experienced social workers. Latest Department for Education figures show that over the past year, children's social worker vacancies have risen nearly 20 per cent so that on average, each English authority now has almost 30 full-time posts unfilled.
The announcement last month of the consultation into the widescale outsourcing of children's services would have surprised few in the sector. Controversial though it may be, the government has been laying the groundwork for the creation of a children's social care "market" for the past year. But although the direction of travel has been clear for some time, the ramifications of such a move are only now starting to be thought through.