Councils in Wales have nearly 500 social worker vacancies and in some cases are spending seven-figure sums each year on agencies to help fill the gaps. More agencies are springing up and some are charging up to £60 per hour for a qualified social worker, according to one worried council director.
Social workers protect vulnerable people and safeguard them from harm. Children's social workers try to keep families together but may decide a child ought to be taken into care. Decisions sometimes have to made about adding an unborn child to the child protection register. Adult social workers assess people who need care, arrange that care, and play a key role in the discharge of elderly patients from hospital.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Wales' 22 local authorities how many adult and children's social worker vacancies they had, how much they were spending on agencies, and also how many business support vacancies they had in their social services departments. The responses to the freedom of information request varied from council to council – in part reflecting their population and demographics. Vacancy numbers, as in any organisation, also fluctuate from month to month.
