West Sussex Council has agreed to pay child care social workers
higher salaries to boost recruitment and retention, it has
emerged.
The council has written to all social work staff in children's
services to announce that, following a review, two additional pay
increments will be given to qualified social workers up to senior
practitioner level who work in local social work teams.
Deputy director of social and caring services John Leaver said the
level of vacancies alongside the need to be able to respond to the
needs of the most vulnerable children were the reasons behind the
move.
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He said he realised all social workers were providing highly valued
services with "much skill and effort" and that many would be
"disappointed" that the market supplement would not apply
elsewhere.
But Ian Johnston, director of the British Association of Social
Workers, said he was worried about "piecemeal developments" and
warned that the move could mean some client groups could become the
"poor relation".
