There's been a lot of debate on CareSpace and a recent blog post about the difficulties facing newly qualified social workers in the jobs market and discussion about the role of recruitment agencies. Here, Lee Lovekin (below), team manager at Liquid Personnel gives his take on the difficulties facing NQSWs and the role of agencies:

In recent months, we've spoken to many newly qualified social workers, and read some interesting posts from them on sites such as Community Care.  In those posts NQSWs have explained the challenges they face in trying to secure their first job, and some important issues have been raised about recruitment agencies. We fully understand the concerns of NQSWs and would like to help by providing insight into some of the key questions...

Already filled?

One issue raised has been that when applying for a role with an agency, many social workers are told it "has already been filled", leading some people to believe that the role didn't actually exist in the first place.  All of the roles we advertise are genuine, but they may not be vacant for long. When managers come to us requesting an agency social worker, they usually require a very quick turnaround; most interview slots are filled within hours and, assuming the agency has done a good job in finding the right people, the roles are filled within a couple of days. In order to be put forward for a role, you would need to be registered with us, fully vetted, with a CRB and references in place.  We always call our existing candidates when a suitable role comes up, so you would never miss out on a job this way.

Lack of experience

The question of experience is a crucial one, and lots of NQSWs are finding that they are turned down based on a lack of experience. It's important to explain that agencies do not determine the recruitment criteria for a role; these are determined by our client (a local authority, charity, fostering agency, etc.) who will specify exactly what they are looking for.  Our task is to supply the best candidates to fit the requirements of the organisation, and if that means an experienced, skilled social worker who can come in to a team and make an immediate impact, then that is what we provide. If we were asked to fill a role with an experienced practitioner and we were to then put forward a newly qualified social worker without post-qualifying experience, however skilled they are, we would be wasting the social worker's time, and the employer's time. 

Hitting the ground running

Generally speaking, our clients expect us to supply practitioners who have around 2 years post-qualifying experience working in a similar setting, as they will be able to join the team and "hit the ground running" without the need for extensive training and mentoring.  This means that experience gained during statutory placements as a student social worker would rarely be deemed sufficient.

We would recommend that newly qualified social workers pursue permanent roles whenever possible.  Although agency roles are great for experiencing work in a wide variety of settings, permanent roles would allow NQSWs to be properly supported and given the opportunity for professional development. They will offer you the support and appropriate training you need in order to develop your skills and knowledge effectively, which is essential at this formative stage in your career. Also, it's important to guard against gaps in your employment, so finding a job as a support worker or social work assistant while you look for qualified work would be beneficial.

Read the complete post at http://www.communitycare.co.uk/blogs/social-work-blog/2011/09/its-employers-who-demand-two-y.html