Published July 2023
A skilled, motivated workforce is at the heart of effective children’s social care. Paying attention to and investing in workforce stability is therefore vital to achieving the outcomes set for local communities and enabling children and families to thrive.
In the light of recruitment pressures and rising vacancy rates, this report seeks to highlight innovative practice from across local authorities forming part of the SFPC programme. The report is based on in-depth conversations and interviews with staff from eleven SFPC local authorities who are applying a range of strategies to address workforce-related challenges, attract values-driven and motivated people and create a supportive culture for staff to practise safely, develop and thrive.
The report highlights leaders’ and practitioners’ responses and examples of good practice across the themes of:
- Values-led leadership and decision-making
- Recruiting talented and values-driven people
- Learning and development for social work to flourish
- Retaining skilled and dedicated staff
It includes a series of Top Tips for effective staff recruitment, development and retention, and highlights four overarching recommendations for successful workforce strategies.
These include:
- To centre values-led decision-making
- To take a whole-system approach to recruitment
- To build the learning conditions for social work to flourish
- To enable staff to create effective change in children and families’ lives
Download the learning report below and find out more about local authorities’ inspiring workforce and to find helpful tips and recommendations to inform future organisational strategies.