New Community Care Jobs guide examines the impact of recent workforce changes on social worker recruitment

Stress and high caseloads present a challenge to local authorities looking to recruit and retain the best and most experienced social workers in 2014

By Kirsty McGregor on March 31, 2014 in Caseloads, Pay and conditions, Workforce

The number of social work posts across the UK has grown for the first time in three years, leading to fresh challenges for recruiters, according to the latest Community Care Jobs Guide to Social Work Recruitment and Retention in 2014.

Available now, the guide reviews a number of Community Care surveys and investigations carried out in 2013 and early 2014 and looks at what the findings mean for the year ahead.

For example, we found stress was a major reason many social workers are unhappy and ultimately leave their job, with 96% of social work employees feeling moderately or very stressed and 76% admitting they have thought about quitting because of it.

The guide recommends working out a formal strategy for attracting applicants to permanent posts, which could include a campaign to improve the image of certain services of the authority’s social work provision as a whole. Other tips include introducing market incentives, such as golden hellos and handcuffs.

To download your free copy, sign in to your Community Care account or register here