Social Work Improvement Fund leads to frontline boost…
4th July 2011
Children and families social workers in England have received a boost thanks to the Social Work Improvement Fund. A study has shown that Councils are beginning to relieve the pressure on those in frontline social work jobs.
The report, published by the Children’s Workforce Development Council, investigated how the Social Work Improvement Fund (a £23m grant) was spent last year. It found that…
- 73% of local authorities said they had made progress with their workload management systems
- Almost a quarter said they were already “on top” of the situation
- Many Councils had used the money to improve service delivery
- Many had also used the funds it to create a healthier workplace
However, the report did identify problems, including high vacancy rates and caseloads. It showed that…
- One in 10 councils had vacancy rates of 10-20% in their children’s services teams.
- Practitioners in 57 councils had between 20 and 30 cases at once
- In 5 local authorities, caseloads were between 30 and 40 cases
In 2011, The SWIF has risen significantly to £44m, and these findings will inform the way in which this year’s funds are used.
