How can you help tackle the retention problem within social work?

The challenges around recruitment and retention in the social work sector are considerable. Stress and burnout, alongside unprecedented caseloads and cuts to local government funding, are key factors impacting retention. So, what can you do to help?
 

• Prioritise development

 
Professional development is about more than simply plugging skills gaps. Talk to your teams about areas they would like to explore and actively seek out training opportunities that could be a good fit.
 

• Collaborate and connect

 
Provide staff with the opportunity and environment to collaborate, work together on problems and foster professional relationships. Look for mentoring opportunities – this reinforces that you care about development and will also give them a chance to learn and grow.
 

• Safety first

 
Ensuring staff feel safe at work is crucial. Enable and encourage open and honest discussions, whether it’s through regular meetings, anonymous online surveys, or mentoring. At Community Care Jobs we understand that staff turnover is a complex issue for any social work employer to face. Find out more about these and other approaches that could help you build a successful retention strategy.