Students are on standby to monitor social workers

UNIVERSITY students could be used to monitor social workers to help review their work. Notts County Council is talking to the University of Nottingham about getting postgraduate social work students to shadow its employees, recording the nature and volume of their work.

The project aims to improve the efficiency of the social care workforce.

The council’s adult social care and health committee has approved the plan despite objections from opposition Labour councillors.

Councillor Alan Rhodes, leader of the Labour group, said: “This feels to me like a social study on social workers.

“I’m concerned we could create stress and anxiety in a group of people already overworked with existing heavy caseloads.

“I’ve also concerns that we appear to be trying to do this on the cheap, and whether this is the best way forward when we are looking at such an important group of workers.”

Labour councillor Chris Winterton said: “I think what is of most concern is what will professional social workers make of the fact students are looking at how they work?

“Some people may say it’s better done by an external social work department.”

Martin Sleath, branch secretary for Notts Unison, said he was “alarmed” by the plan.

“In terms of workload, certainly in children’s social work, the volume of work has increased so much over the last four or five years. Yes the council has taken on staff, but not enough to cope with demand,” he said. “I’m not sure what something like this will achieve. It’s a bit dubious to use students and seems a cheap, low-cost option.”

But committee vice-chairman and Conservative councillor Stuart Wallace said: “We spend taxpayers’ money and we need to know that every penny and pound is targeted to do what we want it to do.”

The research will be carried out next month. The committee also agreed to spend £14,000 on a research officer for six months to lead the project.

It follows previous research which found opportunities for time and cost savings in the department.

A report by council officers said using agency workers to carry out the research would cost £98,000. Using students, however, would cost about £45,000 if they were paid an hourly rate, or £10,000 if they were only given expenses.

Of the student plan, the report said: “The advantage of this approach is that the students would have a good level of understanding of the workings of a social care department and familiarity with the nature of the work to be observed. Additionally the students are likely to be engaged by the nature of the research and see connections with their own studies and professional development.”

A council spokesman said an initial approach had been made to the university, with council staff due to meet university officials next week.

The university said it would be inappropriate to discuss the plan until details had been agreed.