Agenda item

[Louise Haughton, Principal Social Worker to present report]

Louise Haughton, Principal Social Worker, gave an overview of the main findings of a Council survey to check the “health” of social workers. The survey is undertaken annually.

The Principal Social Worker presented the findings in the Social Work Health Check 2018 – Summary Report and gave details of five key themes based on the survey responses and the changes seen over the previous three years.

The Principal Social Worker explained that information collected and presented in the same way over this period does allow trends to be identified and comparisons made.

Jennifer Rogers, Advanced Practitioner Quality and Improvement, commented that the social workforce in Wolverhampton is considered to very stable over time. The Advanced Practitioner added the survey responses suggested that the employees considered the assessment forms were too long and in response changes were being made to the process.

The Advanced Practitioner commented on issues relating to topics ranging from current management vacancies, views on formal supervision. The Advanced Practitioner commented on the overall positive feedback from the survey responses and the high levels of reported job satisfaction.

The panel queried the response from more experienced social workers to different ways of working suggested in the report. The Principal Social Worker commented that experienced social workers would have seen different ways working over many years and have been able to adapt and learn new ways – some are very willing to change their practice and learn new skills; but accepted that they may need more time to adapt.

The Principal Social Worker commented that in the responses to the survey social workers there were references made to the number who referred to published articles to improve their practice had increased over time. The Principal Social Worker commented on the overall positive response to the use of observational practice as part efforts to improve the quality of social work practice. The Principal Social Worker commented on the need to get the balance right in supporting this work.

The panel discussed the findings about the levels of reported job satisfaction. The Principal Social Worker commented that the commented on the low turnover rates and the Council does perform well in terms of workforce stability. The Principal Social Worker added that having a stable workforce can respond to issues quickly and offer training in response to the specific issues or requests from social workers.

David Watts, Director of Adults Services, commented that the service was not complacent and highlighted areas of challenge such as meeting duties such as Advanced Mental Health Practitioner and there is recognition that this is also a national problem in helping social workers to meet their responsibilities.

The Director of Adults Services commented on the challenge of the transition when social workers move from frontline practice to management and the need for extra support. This area is a focus for the council. The Director of Adults Services added that the Council has been successful in retaining front-line staff.

The Director of Adults Services commented on the range of work being done to make systems more efficient – the issue of paperwork has been identified as a concern in the survey responses. The aim is to reduce the amount of paperwork involved in the assessment process and free up the time of social workers. The evidence from pilot schemes intended to reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency where this has been introduced is showing very positive results and the plan is this approach to be rolled out to other social work teams. The Director of Adults Services gave the example of work done to move away from the more repetitive aspects so that social workers can only need to record what is required. The Director of Adults Services commented on the work done to recognise the professionalism of social work practice.

The panel queried current levels of staffing and the circumstances where agency staff would be used. The Principal Social Worker commented that the Council is seen as an employer of choice and the work done to promote the offer at social work job fairs. The Principal Social Worker advised the panel that the Council does not have a high number of agency workers, but they are used as a temporary measure to cover periods of sickness or other absences.

The Director of Adults Services added that there are no current social work vacancies.

The panel discussed the plans for improving the opportunities for people wanting a career in social services through the apprenticeship offer. The Director of Adults Services added that there is a standard suite of training which is delivered in-house – in addition there are external providers of training and support provided by the council. The Director of Adults Services commented on an initiative to share and improve practice through an exchange programme where adult social workers are moved to work in a children’s social work team. The Director of Adults Services commented that the aim is to help social workers to develop their skills and gain a better understanding across the life course of a person – despite some initial reservations the response has been very positive. The quality of the work was recognised in recent visit by the Chief Social Worker made reference to the initiative at a conference speech.

The panel welcomed the progress made and agreed to the note the findings.

Resolved:

            The panel agreed to note the report.