It is clearly evident that the strain on front line social work is at breaking point. Children’s social work in particular is under enormous strain both from the pressures of inadequate funding and from a poorly trained and badly supported workforce.


Tackling this problem is no mean task and requires some serious rethinking on how to improve upon the quality and training of the workforce to ensure the effectiveness of frontline staff.


Over the past five years there has been an increasing number of highly skilled social work professionals Wholesale Soccer Jerseys From China , with vast numbers of years of experience who have reached the point of burn-out. They have become disillusioned with an ever more demanding and difficult role, particularly in front line child protection work and, as such, have begun to leave the profession in alarming numbers. Therein lies the problem. There are insufficient high quality, well trained and experienced qualified Social Workers coming through the ranks that are required to fill the increasing number of vacancies and thus leaving our vulnerable children at risk.


Last year it is estimated that there were around 1500 vacancies in front line child protection social work most of which tend to be concentrated in the most deprived areas of the UK in and around major inner city conurbations. Despite efforts to tackle this crisis Wholesale Soccer Jerseys China , there are major concerns regarding the calibre and competency of newly Qualified Social Workers. It is clearly evident by virtue of the fact around 95% of social work graduates are not from one of the Russell Group Universities which indicates that Social Work is not deemed to be an attractive profession.


At Entrust Social Care Ltd, one of the UKs leading independent social work businesses, the majority of vacancies are in front-line child protection work and, despite enhanced pay and benefits being offered, fewer and fewer social workers are prepared to carry out these highly demanding roles. The problem is further compounded in that those that are working in this sector are subject to such demanding and stressful expectations that the levels of long term absence through sickness is increasing all the time. In the past Wholesale Soccer Jerseys , there has generally been an adequate supply of locum social workers who would fill these vacancies on a temporary basis. However, over the past few years, due to the gradual erosion of the benefits to be gained from working as a locum social worker, such as flexible working patterns, enhanced rates of pay limited company working etc. it has become increasingly difficult to fulfil these requirements and it does not appear that the situation is likely to improve any time soon. In f