One third of social workers will never join College

Thirty percent of social workers say they will never join The College of Social Work, according to a survey by recruitment agency Liquid Personnel.

The poll of 125 social workers in England also found that while one in 10 had already joined the College, just 8% intended to become members soon. The remaining 52% said they might join at some point in the future. Those who did not intend to join the College said they “didn’t see the point” or “see what the College will achieve for the average social worker”.

The finding comes just two weeks before the 1 April end of the College’s free membership offer, which began when it opened its doors on 5 January. As of 14 March, the College had recruited 9,076 members and new members were joining at a rate of 200 a week.

“The workforce is sceptical about what the College will achieve, especially for those on the front line,” said Jonathan Coxon, managing director of Liquid Personnel. “The only way for them to prove their value is through affirmative action; engaging in effective lobbying and influencing positive change in social work.”

A College spokesperson: “We’re pleased with these numbers just over two months since our formal launch and during the coming year we will continue to prove our worth so that every social worker sees the value of joining us.”

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See our guide costs and benefits for social workers of joining the College, BASW or Unison