Councils relying on temporary staff in social care

The latest Comensura Social Care Index has revealed that between July and September 2014, year-on-year usage of temporary social care workers in local authorities increased by 6.8%.

With increasing budget constraints and a limited talent pool, local authorities are frequently turning to temporary social care workers as a short term solution to resourcing problems. The main reason authorities hire temporary workers is to provide cover, including for vacant posts, which accounted for 43.9% of total full-time equivalent (FTE).   

The data also suggests that local authorities are focusing resources on qualified temporary social care workers who can step in and manage complex case loads with minimal training and supervision. From July to September 2014, qualified social worker FTE accounted for 67.4% of the total temporary social care workforce, up from 59.6% in the same period in the previous year. This increase in demand is a consequence of the rising caseloads that qualified social workers face. In contrast, unqualified roles have decreased by 13.9%.

Historically, the majority of temporary social care workers have been female and this continues to be the trend. Yet, there has been significant growth in the number of male workers, up 11.2% on the year, more than double the growth registered by female workers (5.2%). There is a strong demand from local authorities for more male social workers to better reflect the current and future care needs of the UK population.

Commenting on the findings, Jamie Horton, Managing Director at Comensura, said: “Understanding trends in the use of contingent workers is key for local authorities who are constantly trying to manage budgets and cope with evolving regulatory and inspection regimes. With fluctuating pay rates, an ageing workforce, and an industry-wide gender imbalance seen as major issues in temporary social care recruitment, an understanding of these trends will help local authorities to make the most efficient use of their resources.”