Solihull Council working hard on recruitment for social services

Oct 23 2009 by Sophie Cross, Birmingham Post

Solihull Council this week assured it was working to alleviate pressures on its social services department.

A survey revealed it was recently among the top ten local authorities in the country struggling to recruit social workers, with more than 30 per cent of positions empty or covered by agency staff.

A cabinet report submitted last month noted that despite “near-continuous recruitment campaigns” the authority had suffered difficulties in permanently filling departmental posts, spelling delays in assessment work being undertaken and inexperienced workers having to take on more complex cases.

Council leader Ken Meeson said he had met with the authority’s Children’s Social Work teams this week and was “pleased to say they are now pretty well up to strength.”

“Vacancies is not the same as unfilled posts as we do have a number of agency staff to ensure adequate cover,” he said.

“The good news is that we have made many new appointments to full-time posts in the last few weeks and more to come.

“There is a national shortage of social workers but I am pleased that we are having many applications to join us.”