Effective workforce planning systems
Data on the adult social care workforce is available from various sources. However, more evidence is needed about children's social care. This matters because the children's social care workforce is unique. It is different from both adult social care and the wider workforce. We should use insights from all sectors of the social work workforce to share learning and improve effectiveness.
Improving the quality of data
A recent review identified an important issue in using data for workforce planning: data quality. Many local authorities and universities do not collect or share enough data, hindering accurate predictions of supply and demand.
Still, some local authorities are addressing this. They are hiring data experts and crafting better recruitment and retention strategies. This effort boosts their understanding of future workforce needs.
The role of long term planning
Long-term plans for hiring and keeping workers demands time and resources, but short-term needs often come first. Keeping long-term plans in mind can help you to be prepared for changes due to demographics or supply of social workers.
Tackling the demands of social work
Social work is inherently demanding with a high risk of stress and burnout. Stress mainly comes from organisational factors, not the job. These factors include lack of support, control, and resources.
Creating the conditions that encourage social workers to stay in local authority employment is essential. Investing in existing staff and understanding reasons for staff turnover will cost less than agency workers and continuing recruitment costs.
Offer strategies to support staff
Create a supportive environment and offer stress management tools to help social workers. In local authorities, workforce issues are often managed corporately. This can mean that the context of social care and social work practice is not well understood. Leaders should make sure that the corporate workforce planning system supports planning, recruiting and retaining social workers.
Social care and social work have a unique context. Leaders should invest in a system that supports planning, recruiting, and keeping social workers.
Use a whole-systems approach
Meeting workforce planning standards calls for more than just effort. It needs a clear social work framework. Also, manageable workloads, prioritising staff wellbeing, and effective supervision are crucial. Without these, achieving the standard is impossible.
Social work services are closely linked to broader fields like social care, health, and education. Keeping track of the entire workforce in the local area is complex but necessary. Tools in Employment standard 8: Strategic partnerships can help. They enable collaboration with partners to provide comprehensive services.
Resources to support employers to explore some of the challenges will be added later in 2024.
References
This is the list of research and evidence sources used to produce this section. Publicly available links are included.
Consilium. (2016). Study into the impact of a values-based approach to recruitment and retention. Skills for Care.
House of Commons Library. (2021). Social care: Workforce crisis. House of Commons Library Research Briefing.
King’s Fund. (2019). Time to think differently.
Nuffield Trust. (2021). What does the social care workforce look like across the four countries?
The Health Foundation. (2021). Social care workforce crisis. The Health Foundation Blog.
Next page: Tools and resources
The resources have been developed by
Research in Practice
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DfE.
Published: 30 October 2024
Last updated: 30 October 2024
Published: 30 October 2024
Last updated: 30 October 2024