Statistics: children's services social worker workforce

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Dear Croydon Borough Council,

The government has recently published the social worker workforce statistics children’s services for 2016 based on information provided just under six months ago. If correct, and I question the figures for some LAs, your use of agency social workers and/or turnover rate appears to be well above the national and regional average.

I would be grateful if you could respond to the following questions:

1. What is the trend data for your Local Authority over the last three years in relation to the proportion of agency front line social workers (those holding cases) as opposed to front line directly employed workers; the average number of cases held by all front line workers; the turnover rate of both directly employed and also agency social workers?
2. Do you have a strategic recruitment and retention plan for front line social workers? If so please provide a copy and any data that can support or otherwise it’s effectiveness in achieving it’s aims.
3. Last year HCPC estimated that it would process about 600 registration applications from foreign-trained social workers. Have you considered international recruitment. If you have not are there specific reasons why you have not pursued such an option given that children’s social work is on the government’s official shortage occupation list?
4. If you have recruited from outside of the UK can you please provide details of source countries and the numbers involved ideally broken down by those who have applied to you themselves and those you have recruited through an agency? How long has it taken to get such workers into post after interview? How many were registered to work in the UK (including the provinces) in advance of interview? What proportion have passed their probationary periods? What data do you have on retention rates for such social workers?
5. If you have recruited through an agency what fees and costs were involved? How did you comply with principles of procurement and in particular ensure best value? How many agencies were contacted and invited to bid? Were there any agencies who you knew provided such workers but were overlooked for such purposes? If you had a procurement specification(source country, post qualification experience, languages, registration situation etc), please provide a copy.
6. Which Officer (position and name if appropriate) takes lead responsibility for the recruitment and retention of childrens services social workers?

I thank you in advance for the time and trouble in responding to my questions.

Yours faithfully,

Loredana Grigore

Freedom of Information, Croydon Borough Council

 

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Loredana Grigore

Dear Freedom of Information,

Can you provide a date by time I will receive a response?

Yours sincerely,

Loredana Grigore

Information, Croydon Borough Council

Dear Ms Grigore,

Apologies for the delay.

I am urgently chasing the answering department for a response to these questions however at this time I am unable to provide a specific date or time you will receive a response but rest assured as soon as I receive the answers I will get the response out to you immediately.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Kind regards,

Steven Borg
Information Coordinator
Croydon Council
  
Digital Council of the Year

ICT Client Unit (ICU)
Customer Transformation and Communications Services
Information Team
Resources Department
7th Floor, Zone B
Bernard Weatherill House
8 Mint Walk
Croydon CR0 1EA

For Subject Access Request queries please email - [email address]
For Freedom of Information Request queries please email - [email address]

show quoted sections

Loredana Grigore

Dear Information,

Please follow this upas a matter of urgency.

Yours sincerely,

Loredana Grigore

Information, Croydon Borough Council

Morning Loredana

Thank you for your email.

This case has now been escalated to director level and we are hoping to have a response with you soon.

Kind regards

Information Support Officer
Croydon Council
 
 

ICT Client Unit (ICU)
Customer Transformation and Communications Services
Information Team
Resources Department
7th Floor, Zone B
Bernard Weatherill House
8 Mint Walk
Croydon CR0 1EA

For Subject Access Request queries please email - [email address]
For Freedom of Information Request queries please email - [email address]

show quoted sections

Loredana Grigore

Dear Croydon Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Croydon Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Statistics: children's services social worker workforce'.

It seems that the internal review procedure is the only way to trigger a response to my questions.
[ GIVE DETAILS ABOUT YOUR COMPLAINT HERE ]

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/s...

Yours faithfully,

Loredana Grigore

Information, Croydon Borough Council

Dear Ms Grigore,

Apologies for the delays you are experiencing.

This has been passed to our Legal department to perform an internal review, but in the meantime we will continue to chase the department for their urgent response.

Kind regards,

Steven Borg
Information Coordinator
Croydon Council
 
 
Digital Council of the Year

ICT Client Unit (ICU)
Customer Transformation and Communications Services
Information Team
Resources Department
7th Floor, Zone B
Bernard Weatherill House
8 Mint Walk
Croydon CR0 1EA

For Subject Access Request queries please email - [email address]
For Freedom of Information Request queries please email - [email address]

show quoted sections

Freedom of Information, Croydon Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Grigore

Freedom of Information Request

Please see attached the council's response to your Freedom of Information
request.

Yours sincerely

 

Steven Borg

FOI Coordinator

Croydon Council