References are an important part of the recruitment process for agency child and family social workers.
On 31 October 2024, statutory guidance for local authorities on the use of agency child and family social workers came into effect in England. The statutory guidance sets out a new requirement about referencing. The statutory guidance includes information about:
- why practice-based references matter
- what employers should do to meet the agency rules
- what practice-based references should contain
Check your current policy to make sure it aligns with the expectations set out in the agency rules.
Implementation and transition
The statutory guidance applies to all new assignments. Local authorities should seek detailed practice-based references for any candidate offered an assignment on or after 31 October 2024.
Local authorities should provide references using the standard template when the request comes on or after 31 October 2024 even if the assignment pre-dates the statutory guidance. If the local authority already has detailed references on file dated before 31 October 2024, these can be shared without using the standard template. Where an assignment ends after the guidance has come into effect, the reference should be shared with the agency worker prior to the end of their assignment.
Agency child and family social workers starting assignments in early November 2024 are likely to have been subject to pre-employment checks prior to the guidance taking effect. Where this is the case, and local authorities have followed their existing procedure, they do not have to repeat pre-employment checks for those already on, or about to start, assignments.
Requesting and receiving references
When requesting and receiving references, local authorities (LAs) should ask for at least 2 detailed practice-based references for each agency child and family social worker. Refer to the statutory guidance to ensure you are meeting the requirements.
Although LAs cannot delegate responsibility for providing references, LAs can work with managed service providers (MSPs) or agencies to agree processes for obtaining, storing or sharing references.
Effective processes for requesting and providing references include:
- MSPs and agencies creating processes to securely share references with LAs
- referring to the guidance to ensure suitable employees are completing references
- references are reviewed prior to the candidate being offered an assignment
- references are recorded in the worker’s human resources (HR) file
Why practice-based references matter
Practice-based references are important because they provide essential information about a social worker’s skills, experience and competence.
Local authorities should obtain at least 2 references to ensure they hire workers who are well-suited for their roles. This is particularly important for those working with people who have complex needs.
References also:
- help future employers understand the social worker’s strengths and any challenges
- maintain high standards in social work by ensuring only qualified and competent social workers work with local authorities
Employers writing references have a duty of care to the social worker and potential employers to ensure the references are factual, fair and specific.
Writing practice-based references
Here are some principles to keep in mind when writing a practice-based reference.
References should:
- be factual, honest, and reflect your experience of working with the social worker
- be completed as soon as the agency social worker announces they are leaving
- focus on competence and job performance
- always be evidence based, particularly when noting conflicts or issues
- clearly outline concerns about the candidate’s suitability for the role they held where concerns have been substantiated
References should not:
- be unfair or misleading
- include minor concerns unless related to misconduct or poor performance
- include unsubstantiated concerns about safeguarding
Use the standard reference template to ensure all references have the same information. To maintain consistency, writing references should be part of both recruitment and exit processes. Staff need to understand their roles when it comes to writing references.
A downloadable reference template is available to help write detailed references for agency child and family social workers.
Safe recruitment practices
Local authorities need to check that they are working with agencies that follow safe selection practices. Important steps for safe recruitment include:
- ensure you have complete information about the agency worker’s identity, work history, and right to work in the UK
- references from the most recent employer
- full explanation for any gaps in employment history
Refer to Skills for Care’s Safe and Fair Recruitment guide for further advice about safe hiring practices. Clear roles and responsibilities make reference processes smoother.
Learning how to write a good reference, with examples of what works and what does not, boosts quality and consistency.
Helping staff understand their responsibilities when completing the reference template and answering their questions can speed up the onboarding of social workers.
Responsibilities may differ across local authorities (LAs), agencies and managed service providers (MSPs) so LAs should:
- get contact details from the person completing the reference, provided by the candidate
- refer to the guidance to ensure references are completed by an appropriate individual
- request that agencies and managed service providers provide two detailed practice-based references for all agency child and family social workers
- agree a process with MSPs to ensure references are in the correct format
Improving how you write, request and receive references
To ensure a straightforward process when writing, requesting, and receiving references, it’s important to plan ahead.
Examples from the London Improvement and Innovation Alliance show that clear communication and early conversations with everyone involved can prevent confusion.
You can use these examples from people involved in the hiring process to help improve how you manage writing, requesting and receiving references.
Providing references for agency workers
'I’m told by HR that I can’t give references to agency workers and their agency should provide the reference’.
You could:
- make sure managers have access to the HR policy on references and understand their professional responsibility to complete detailed practice-based references
- encourage managers to prioritise reference writing and offer training in effective reference writing
- discuss the reference with the agency worker before their notice period ends to address any development issues or content disagreements
Detailed practice-based references should be provided
‘I wouldn’t employ an agency candidate when the reference only includes dates, as it indicates there were issues’.
Keep in mind that:
- the managers who review references are often the hiring managers and the reference is crucial to candidate selection
- hiring managers need detailed references to assess a candidate’s suitability
- prior to the introduction of the guidance, some local authorities may have only provided basic references - it should not be assumed that this means there were performance issues. The statutory guidance should ensure that detailed practice-based references are available for all candidates
The most recent local authority should provide the reference
‘We don’t provide references for agency workers, the agency should provide them’.
Be aware that:
- HR business partners may find organisational policies and statutory guidance misaligned
- the statutory guidance sets a clear expectation that the most recent local authority should provide the detailed practice reference to the agency
- the agency should pass this to the next local authority considering the candidate for an assignment
Consider training hiring managers on the benefits of practice-based references
‘We struggle to get hiring managers to respond to references’.
Keep in mind that:
- delays in providing references can hinder agency workers from securing new assignments
- your hiring managers may benefit from training on why references are important and what should be included in detailed practice-based references
- you could check the quality of references being written by managers in your organisation so you can review quality and consistency
Referencing is only one aspect of selecting a candidate. Organisations should also use methods such as interviewing, pre-interview tasks, and team meetings to assess a candidate’s knowledge, skills, and qualities to find the right fit.
Induction is the process of introducing new workers to the organisation’s practices, processes and expectations. It can include ensuring that new workers undertake mandatory training on, for example, health and safety. Induction gives the opportunity for workers to meet the people they will work with on a day-to-day basis. During induction, workers are issued with the equipment they will need to do their job.
These checks give employers assurance that the worker can provide high quality care to children, young people and their families and carers.
The Agency worker induction checklist helps ensure that the necessary checks and processes are completed when an agency worker starts their assignment. It includes the checks set out in the agency rules, and other checks you may wish to include. There is also an end-of-assignment checklist to complete when the assignment ends.
You can adjust the content of the agency worker induction checklist to include other induction elements specific to your organisation.
Next page: Retention
The resources have been developed by
Research in Practice
in collaboration with
DfE.
Published: 30 October 2024
Last updated: 30 October 2024
Published: 30 October 2024
Last updated: 30 October 2024