News

An estimated 20,000 local authority social services staff were signed off work for a period of two months or more last year, an exclusive poll by Community Care of English councils has revealed.

The figure, extrapolated from responses from 100 of the 149 top-tier councils in England for 2004, has raised questions about working conditions and the success of the government’s efforts to boost social care recruitment.

Public sector union Unison said high turnover rates and long-term sick rates could be attributed to high levels of stress caused by understaffing.

Retention also remains a critical issue. Responses from 112 councils to Community Care’s request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 reveal a 12.7 per cent average turnover of council social services staff in 2004.

A spokesperson for adult social care training body Skills for Care said that boosting employees’ confidence in their ability to do their jobs would help reduce the likelihood of them succumbing to stress-related illnesses and leaving the sector prematurely. He said it was critical for managers to develop the skills to recognise when their staff were stressed.