Nottingham could employ foreign social workers to avert recruitment crisis

Nottingham City Council could employ social workers from overseas to avert the current recruitment crisis. The authority is investigating international recruitment and has had discussions with a German recruitment agency.

Other councils have brought social workers from India, Australia, USA and Germany.

Helen Blackman, head of service in neighbourhood field work at the city council’s social services department, said councils were “all fishing in the same pond for staff”.

She said: “We are doing some research looking at what London boroughs do in terms of international recruitment.

“There are overseas social workers not in a job. London boroughs have recruited international social workers and we are looking at that model.”

Earlier this month the city council’s corporate director of children’s services, Ian Curryer, wrote to the NHS, schools and voluntary organisations, asking them only to refer cases to social services when absolutely necessary.

He said the council had 15 vacancies out of a complement of 96 front line social workers.

Mr Curryer suggested other organisations could step in where there were concerns over a child’s welfare, such as cleanliness or health, as opposed to concerns about child protection.

As well as the vacancies, the city council has more than 10 posts filled by agency staff.

This week senior council staff were quizzed by the Young Nottingham select committee at the Council House over recruitment plans and training.

Ms Blackman said there was a shortage of social workers in the country and high demand locally. Performance of social work departments in Doncaster, Rotherham, Nottinghamshire, and Birmingham has been criticised by the government watchdog, Ofsted, and those councils are seeking to strengthen their teams.

As a result, a number of senior social workers have left Nottingham to work in nearby local authorities and agencies, which are offering more money and better conditions.

Ms Blackman said the city council is offering “golden hellos” to starters and has made a payment to staff for long service, with another in October.

She said workloads were high but carefully monitored. Unison said last week the service is in crisis and staff are overloaded.

Ms Blackman said she was hopeful five social workers would join the council shortly.

Satinder Gautam, director of safeguarding, told the committee new social workers were not given complex cases.

He said: “Newly qualified social workers have protected case loads and they are not involved in child protection for six months.”

Councillor David Mellen, portfolio holder for children’s services, said there was no need to panic.

He said: “We have these issues. We are trying to address them and other organisations around the city can play their part. I feel confident the work being done to address the problem is making good progress.”