More than 5,000 people registered to become social workers on a single day this month, a sign that the beleaguered profession may be shaking off its poor image.
The flurry of interest came on Tuesday, January 5, one day after most people returned to work after the Christmas and new year break. The 5,000 join a further 35,000 people who have registered to become social workers since September last year.
They have all signed up with the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC), which has been charged with solving the recruitment crisis in social work and attracting people from different backgrounds into the profession. The vast majority of the 40,000 are “career changers” seeking to switch out of careers ranging from teaching to IT.
Renewed interest in social work will come as a relief to the Government and local authorities, which have been struggling with a recruitment crisis since the Baby P tragedy came to light. One in seven social work posts is vacant in England, a 30 per cent rise since 2005, with local authorities saying that the Baby Peter tragedy had made the situation worse.
The 17-month old toddler died of his injuries despite being seen on 60 occasions by social workers and health professionals. His mother, her boyfriend and the boyfriend’s brother, who was in the house at the time of Peter’s death, have all been jailed for their role in his death.
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Haringey council, whose social workers were responsible for Peter, has been so severely hit by staff shortages that it has resorted to sending officials to the US and Canada to try to recruit staff. Last spring the Local Government Association began a campaign to lure 5,000 newly retired social workers back to children’s services. The CWDC said that one in ten is from London, where shortages are at their most acute.
Keith Brumfitt, CWDC director of strategy, said the level of interest suggested that the public were changing their minds about social work: “I think the public sees that this is a profession where things are changing, getting better and, of course, is hugely rewarding.”
Anyone with a degree can train to be a social worker in two years by taking a master’s in the subject. Alternatively there are two-year placements sponsored by local authorities so trainees can work while they learn. There is also a shorter training scheme called “step up to social work” for people who already work with children.