Children’s services facing director drain

Uncertainty over how many directors of social services will take
up the top posts in children’s services is continuing to grow.

Community Care understands there is widespread concern
that many experienced social services directors will take early
retirement rather than apply for children’s services directorships.
It is believed that the Department for Education and Skills
envisages assistant directors as the natural choice for the
job.

One London social services director said the majority of
directors would not want the job because it was too big and too
different from what they did now. Many would prefer early
retirement to a job with an unknown scope, and assistant directors
would be too inexperienced for the step up.

In an Association of Directors of Social Services survey of 95
directors