The number of children’s social workers employed by councils will need to increase by 13,000 – nearly a third – over the next decade because of growing need and to reduce increasing reliance on agency staff.
So says new research by the LGA, which is warning that, without greater investment in early help for children, thousands more children and family social workers will need hiring.
There were 32,952 children and family social workers in post in 2023, a figure that the LGA predicts will need to rise to 45,989 by 2034 – requiring 3,500 people to start social worker training every year for the foreseeable future.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “It is vital we invest in early help and support so that fewer children and families see their needs escalating and requiring support from children’s social care.
“Without this investment, thousands of additional children and family social workers will need to be hired over the next decade.
“We are calling on the Government to work with us on a workforce strategy that focuses on both recruitment and retention, including a national recruitment drive, training programmes and bursaries.
“We need to make people aware that a career as a children’s social worker can be a very positive, enriching and rewarding role that makes a profound difference to children’s lives. Sadly, it is often a role that only gets attention when things go wrong.”
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