The government has set out how it plans to transform social work in England.
Building a Safe and Confident Future: implementing the recommendations of the Social Work Task Force contains numerous recommendations.
Children’s social work teams across England will receive £48m in 2010-11 to transform conditions on the frontline.
The funding includes £23m to help reduce pressure on frontline workers, £15m to improve IT systems and £10m to help Cafcass tackle the backlog of cases.
It means that ministers have pledged a total of £200m for adult and children’s social work in England for 2010-11.
An independent college of social work will be established by March 2011, with an interim chair appointed by June and a full interim board in place by September.
National indicators for vacancy and turnover rates in children's services will be introduced to improve the regulation and supply of social work.
Employers will be urged to carry out "health checks" on social workers' working conditions over the next 12 months.
A new standard covering workload management and supervision should then be rolled out from 2011 alongside the development of an improved career structure for social work.
The government has stalled on making a decision on cutting the length of social work students' practice placements from 200 to 130 days.
The Social Work Task Force said consideration should be given to reducing placement lengths - but a decision on such a move will not be taken until a review of the degree curriculum which will form the basis for social work courses in 2012.
Meanwhile, the government has scrapped a key recommendation made by Lord Laming after the death of Baby P after the LGA said it would need 6,000 extra social workers to implement it.
Expert guide on the Social Work Task Force