The difference in vacancy rates between children's and adults'
social workers is negligible, with 12.1% of adults posts vacant
compared with 13.0% of children's, our figures show.
The data, from more than 80 councils, overturns any assumptions
that only children's social work is suffering a chronic shortage of
staff. Thirty-six councils had more vacancies for those working
with adults than they did for children's services.
Guidance
But expected guidance from the Migration Advisory Committee
(MAC) to the government on which professions have a shortfall in
the UK is not thought to mention adult's social workers.
The Observer reported in March that children's social
workers will remain on the list - allowing the recruitment of staff
from outside the European Economic Area. A spokesman for the MAC
would not confirm the report ahead of its publication, expected
later this month.
Andrea Rowe, chief executive of Skills for Care, said: "It's
another example of children's social workers being treated
differently, but that's not how things work on the ground."
Massive investment
The similar vacancy rates for adults and children's social
workers follows massive investment in the children's workforce that
has not been replicated in adult care.
The Department of Health said its forthcoming strategy for
adults' services would "address recruitment and retention issues
across social care", and added that £4m will be invested in newly
qualified social worker support.
However, as part of that programme, only £2,000 has been offered
to local authorities to support each newly qualified adults' social
worker, while the Children Workforce Development Council's separate
pilot programme offered £4,000 to councils to support each new
children's social worker.
This is in addition to a national fund of £2.25m to support
their supervisors.