Social Workers required by Bournemouth council

A DESPERATE lack of social workers has prompted Bournemouth council to try and recruit staff from America.

The council has also had to resort to employing expensive agency staff and has increased the salary it pays social workers. It is also appealing to local residents to consider a career in social care.

“Since we have not always been able to fill posts, we have in the past recruited from overseas and we are about to recruit through the USA.”

Ann Graham, Bournemouth’s service director for children’s social care
Poole has a lower number of vacancies but admits it too finds recruiting suitable staff a challenge.

Twelve out of 67 posts in Bournemouth council’s children’s services are vacant, which includes those filled by agency or temporary workers.

Adult services have recently filled 11 posts, leaving four vacancies. They are particularly struggling to recruit specialist mental health workers.

In Poole, two of the 44 full-time equivalent social worker posts in children and young people’s social care are vacant. There are six vacancies in adult services.

Ann Graham, Bournemouth’s service director for children’s social care, stressed vacant positions were temporarily filled with agency staff to ensure children and young people did not suffer.

“Since we have not always been able to fill posts, we have in the past recruited from overseas and we are about to recruit through the USA,” she said.

“Recruiting from overseas is not a long-term solution, however, and we would encourage local people to seriously consider a career in social care – it is an excellent way of working with our community and it gives you the chance to make a real positive difference to people’s lives.” Extract from article in the Bournemouth Echo 12 May 2010