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Efforts by local authorities to train more social workers has only resulted in a 1.5 per cent fall in the vacancy rate, the latest figures from the Social Care and Health Workforce Group has shown, writes Natasha Salari.

The amount of spending by councils on training social workers has risen by 159 per cent from £4.2 million to £11 million, allowing the numbers studying to rise by 68 per cent and the numbers qualifying to more than double.

But even though the average vacancy rate has fallen from 9.9 per cent to 8.4 per cent between 2001 and 2002, children’s social worker vacancies rose from 11.3 per cent to 12.6 per cent.

Bill McKitterick, chairperson of the Association of Directors of Social Services' human resources and training committee, welcomed the drop in the vacancy rate, but believes that it is too “early” to tell if the new social work degree, which replaced the 14-year-old Diploma in Social Work (DipSW) this year, will have an impact on recruitment.

He said: “This is good news, but it’s a turn in the right direction rather than a solution to the problem. We have to turn the 1.5 per cent into something much higher. We have high aspirations that the new degree course will attract people who are committed both to higher education and gaining a professional award.

“It’s too early to say that it (degree course) will have a substantial effect on recruitment of social workers, but it will have a very positive effect on the kinds of people we are trying to attract. What has to go alongside is a robust continuing professional development," he said.