Promoting Stability and Quality in the Social Work Workforce

Welcome

Rachael Wardell, Chair of the ADCS Workforce

Development Policy Committee and Corporate Director, Communities, West Berkshire Council

ADCS Conference - 8 July: Promoting Stability and Quality in the Social Work Workforce Graham Archer, Director of Child Protection, Social Work Reform and Local Authority Performance Department for Education

The Numbers …….

Around 28,500 child and family social workers in Local Authority Children’s Social Care (as at 30 September 2015);

4,640 social workers started employment and 4,560 left their local authority during the year, a turnover rate of 16% (based on FTEs);

the vacancy rate was 17% with large variations between the regions from 7% in Yorkshire and the Humber to 29% in Outer London);

there were 4,860 agency workers (FTE), a rate of 16%: again large variations ranging from 6% in Yorkshire and the Humber to 30% in Outer London;

• 104 students enrolled on the first Frontline programme and 98 graduated; 124 enrolled on the second programme;

• three Step Up cohorts have delivered over 670 successful graduates and 84% of cohort one are still practising in child and family social work after three years.

The Issues……in some places

Quality of social work Numbers of Good Supervisors Social Work Leadership Agency staff numbers Salary based competition Loss of staff in “inadequate LAs”

Recruitment

Frontline Step Up Teaching partnerships ASYE Assessment and Accreditation The role of a new Regulator

Quality and Job Satisfaction

Profile and Respect for the Profession Knowledge and Skills Assessment and accreditation Supervision The environment for good social work Improvement and Intervention

Social Work Careers Retention Supervisors Practice Leaders What lies between – specialism and leadership roles Continuing Professional Development The new Regulator

Issues to be Considered Further

Agency staff Competition between LAs Regional approaches Social Work Academies

Enhancing quality through Teaching Partnerships

Samantha Baron

Head of Social Work

Manchester Metropolitan University

Project Manager Stage One

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

‘Reforming a profession to reform a system’

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

• Admissions (5) • Academic delivery (10) • Learning in Practice (15) • Workforce Planning (10) • Governance (7)

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

• Governance • Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

• Admissions

• Re design of admissions as entry point • Professional Development Career Portfolio

• Academic delivery • GM CPD Framework

• Front line managers • Advanced practitioner roles

• Practitioners as Educators (40) • Re designing our conceptual framework for learning

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

‘The Child’s Journey’

‘Integration for Independence’

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

©

Cultural and Social Norms Growth, Security and Stability

Early Parenthood, Alienation,

Relationship breakdown, Poor

choices = Drugs/alcohol

pregnancy

Poor/deteriorating health, Dependency, Unfulfilled aspirations

[university/employment] Disability/Learning

Disability/autism, Housing & Homelessness, Self-esteem &

identity/culture

Suicide/self-harm, Unemployment, Mental health, Radicalisation, Relationship

breakdown, Substance misuse, insecurity, Unfulfilled expectations, Accidents ->health + Wellbeing, Marginalised, Physical health,

Deep communities

Inappropriate Relationships Additional Caring responsibilities,

Infertility, Abuse-Sexual/emotional/physical, Childhood

trauma, Displacement & transition, Loss, Manipulation, Relationships

Vulnerability-Low level ability, Bereavement & loss, Unplanned & unexpected change, Physical deterioration, Poverty, Delay,

Loneliness/networks/social exclusion, Homelessness, Regret

Extension of pension age, Changing of expectations of

ageing, Reflection, End of life care, Helplessness, Fragility, Frustration, Memory loss,

Isolation

Relationships Equality, Warm, Love, Trust, Security, Safety, Sharing, Fulfilment,

Empowering, Transforming, Respect, Partnership, Fairness, Negotiation, Responsibility

GMSWA

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

• Learning in Practice (94)

• Student learning Centres • Professional Development Learning Centre • Stage 2 PE’s (40) • Peer Review Evaluation Teams • Voluntary sector mapping of Child & Adult Learning Pathways

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

• Workforce planning

• GMSWA – sub structure of Devolution Manchester • GM Standards (recruitment, retention & career progression) • GM First

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

• Reforming a profession to reform a system • Innovation in a changing landscape (bursaries, commissioning, rationalisation, mixed

market place of programmes, government reform) • Equipping the future workforce for new delivery systems • New alliances, thinking and doing ‘time’, sense of influence and change • Interlocking into bigger regional issues and enhancing social work within that ( e.g.

Devolution Manchester) • Strategic approach to GM planning • Opportunities for significant new developments e.g. GM First • Increased buy in from practitioners, educators and service users and carers • New and emerging models of practice – e.g. Child and Adult Learning Pathways • Transition between communication, information sharing constituency to decision making

body across GM • Three year commitment to transform social work within context of Devolution Manchester

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy • Formality of buy-in at all levels within the organisation • Standards not standardisation • Timing, admin and delivery • Scale of ambition (three year ambitions) versus pragmatism and positioning • Who is in and who is out and why • Student understanding and enthusiasm • Communication systems • Levels of engagement in all organisations • Financial sustainability • Late funding notification • First evaluation point was simply too early • Scale of ambition linked to Devolution and impact upon partners • All on top of the day job!!

Greater Manchester Social Work Academy

Children’s Social Work Matters

Melanie John-Ross, Service Director Children’s Social Care and Safeguarding, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

and Karen Jones, Project Manager – Children’s Social Work Matters, Kirklees Council

@OurCSWM #cswm

National ADCS Conference Friday 8 July 2016

Melanie John-Ross and Karen Jones

@OurCSWM #cswm

What is Children’s Social Work Matters (CSWM)?

A project to attract and support

Children’s Social Workers (CSWs) and to help improve social work practice and delivery in the 15 local authorities

across the Yorkshire and Humber region.

@OurCSWM #cswm

The need for change

@OurCSWM #cswm

Our approach Research. Research. Research!

@OurCSWM #cswm

Insight Increased caseloads

High stress levels

Low morale

Negative perceptions Too much paperwork

Too much bureaucracy

Poor supervision

@OurCSWM #cswm

Setting our objectives

@OurCSWM #cswm

Our plan • Create a brand

• Digital platform

• PR strategy – case studies – social media

@OurCSWM #cswm

Measured outcomes (since 2011) • Over 150 separate pieces

of media coverage (local, regional national press, as well as TV with a leading news item on BBC Look North with over 1.3 million viewers).

• More than 215,000 unique visits to our website.

• Over 70% of traffic are new visitors to the site.

We have boosted social work job applications by 200% 28 November, 2014 | By Alison O'Sullivan

@OurCSWM #cswm

Time to focus more on support Consultation with CSWs to: 1. Explore practical initiatives that would encourage and

support them in their role 2. Investigate ‘quick wins’ in

changes to working conditions and related support

3. Get staff recommendations on how to ‘flesh-out’ the pledge and bring it to life

@OurCSWM #cswm

Focus Groups Outcomes

Managing Case Loads Ea

rly

Inte

rven

tion

Support and Leadership

Multi-Agency Working General

Practice

Make Life Easier

@OurCSWM #cswm

Our Children’s Social Work Matters

• Connect with other CSWs • Share best practice and

learning's • Stay up to date with social

work news • Track and record CPD • Watch and participate in

webinars • And lots more...

@OurCSWM #cswm

Our Children’s Social Work Matters

@OurCSWM #cswm

Outputs and feedback so far

Very thought provoking. You’ve made me stop and

think about my practice

(Nick Frost’s webinar)

15 webinars – Over 800 participants

Brilliant. You’ve reminded me why I became a Children’s

Social Worker – thank you

Inspirational. I’ve learnt more in an hour than I did on an entire

course recently. (Hackney Child’s webinar)

1,979 OurCSWM members

Dez Holmes

Prof. Harry Ferguson

Hackney Child

Prof. Nick Frost

Prof. Brigid Featherstone

Isabelle Trowler

Luke Rodgers

Julie Jenkins

Dr Lee Pollard

Dan Allen

Brian Lawson

Darren Hill

Sarah Lloyd Robin Sen Lee Sobo-Allen

@OurCSWM #cswm

Promotional value - 2015 alone • Job listings £81,600 based on 204 job

ads @ assumed cost of £400 per ad • Pay Per Click £11,945 based on PPC

rate of 0.25p for 47,780 clicks • Virtual training via 7 live webinars -

450 participants @ assumed cost of £50 per delegate £22,500

Total promotional value = £116,045

• Actual contribution was just £6.5K per authority from base budget (x15 council’s) Total budget = £97,500

• Base budget contribution per LA

for 2016-17 and 2017-18 is still just £6.5K per year.

As of 2015-16 CSWM is now self funding

@OurCSWM #cswm

Festival of Social Work Conference 30 June 2016

Our aims were to: - celebrate great social work - raise morale/inspire CSWs - share good practice - encourage networking • 3 great keynote speakers

- HHJ Nancy Hillier - Dez Holmes - Luke Rogers

• 8 good practice sessions • 10 stalls showcasing good practice

@OurCSWM #cswm

CSWs telling us why their job matters

@OurCSWM #cswm

Young people telling us what makes a good CSW

@OurCSWM #cswm

Launched 30 June 2016 OurCSWM App

@OurCSWM #cswm

Recruitment and retention Region-wide

• Turnover rate – 2014 was 14% – 2015 down to 12% (lowest across England)

• Vacancy rate

– 2014 was 8% – 2015 down to 7% (lowest across England)

• Agency CSWs employed

– 2014 was 8% – 2015 down to 6% (lowest across England – London highest at 25%)

• CSWs absence rate

– 2014 was 4% – 2015 down to 3% (2nd lowest in England – London leading with 3% and 2%)

@OurCSWM #cswm

So in summary… Why CSWM?

A positive voice for SW Learn from each other

Cost effective

Bringing research and practice together

Sharing resources

Sharing best practice A brand with values

Reputation Recruitment Retention

@OurCSWM #cswm

Any questions?

@OurCSWM #cswm

Thank you www.childrenssocialworkmatters.org

@OurCSWM #CSWM

Questions? Have you considered joining the ADCS Workforce

Development Policy Committee?

Visit www.adcs.org.uk/committees or email esther@adcs.org.uk for further details.