A commitment by Leeds City Council to enhance the support given to its children’s social workers will help to provide greater protection for young people in the city, UNISON says today (Wednesday).
The local authority has agreed to a number of measures suggested by the union that should ensure the service runs more smoothly, and staff are better supported to carry out their work.
This includes committing to a review of social worker pay in 2024, after UNISON requested salaries match or better those of neighbouring local authorities, to help Leeds attract and retain staff.
Dozens of vacancies have been advertised in the service over the past two years, increasing pressure on the current team, says UNISON. Recruiting and retaining more staff is vital, adds the union.
Overtime is now to be allocated for work that’s planned outside office hours, and a retention sum of £3,000 will be paid in two instalments (one in December 2023, the other in June 2024) to all social workers and advanced practitioners in relevant teams*.
The measures also include the introduction of a specialist programme to help social workers develop knowledge and skills when dealing with complex issues such as child sexual exploitation.
The council has also committed to helping social workers develop professionally, by contacting all those approaching three years in post to offer advice on how they can best progress their careers.
UNISON is pleased Leeds City Council has made this commitment to support its social workers, especially as the authority attempts to navigate a predicted budget shortfall.
UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Brendan Cafferty said: “Local councils have suffered terribly from over a decade of government cuts to services, and social work has been one of the worst-affected areas.
“It’s great senior councillors are listening to the concerns staff are raising and committing to putting measures in place to address them.
“But this is only a short-term fix to help social workers in Leeds and sadly the pressures the council is experiencing are present in social work teams all over the country.
“What’s needed is for the government to provide proper, sustained funding for all local authorities, then social workers and vulnerable families could get the support they need.”
UNISON Leeds local government assistant branch secretary Mick Binks said: “Social workers have been calling on the council to give them more support to help navigate years of cuts from central government.
“It’s really promising that the council is taking that message on board, and is doing something about it.”
UNISON steward in children’s and families team Helen Fearns said: “Social workers do this job because they care about children, and want to keep them safe.
“A combination of staff leaving and services being cut has led to increased workloads and pressure on those that remain to keep the service running as it should. It’s put a real strain on all the children’s social workers.
“It’s really pleasing to hear Leeds City Council acknowledge that and commit to addressing those issues.”
Councillor Fiona Venner, executive board member for children’s social care and health partnerships at Leeds City Council, said: “I am pleased that the Labour-led council in Leeds has worked with our trade union partners to address the concerns raised by social workers.
“We are committed to supporting our valued social workers to continue to provide outstanding services to children and families.
“We now need central government to step in and properly fund council children’s services. 14 years of austerity and an increase in child poverty have led to increased demand on children’s services against a backdrop of savage cuts to council finances.”
* The retention sum will be paid to newly qualified social workers, social workers, senior social workers and advanced practitioners in the following teams: Duty & Advice Team (including the Emergency Duty Team); Cluster Social Work Teams (east, South and West); Child Health and Disability Social Work Team (CHAD); Children Looked After Teams; Placement Teams; Restorative Early Practice Teams (RES).
