Recruitment and retention of social workers remains a challenge in Inverclyde but innovative efforts to tackle the issue continue to make progress.
The health and social care partnership’s (HSCP) ‘Grow our Own’ initiative offers a “structured development pathway” for paraprofessional staff to undertake a social work degree.
That’s according to an update that will be presented at a meeting of the council’s social work and social care scrutiny panel next Tuesday.
It explained: “Recruitment and retention of social workers continue to present significant local and national challenges.
“This was exacerbated by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, prompting a range of actions across Scotland to sustain the social worker workforce.
“Within Inverclyde, a ‘Grow our Own’ scheme was developed, to strengthen the social work workforce through a clear and ambitious focus on sustainable recruitment, retention and career progression.
“This sought to respond to local and national challenges around social worker recruitment, particularly due to the impact that vacancies can have on the capacity of services to fulfil their statutory duties.
“The ‘Grow our Own’ initiative offers a structured development pathway for existing paraprofessional staff to undertake the social work degree.”
To date, 15 paraprofessionals have been supported from across children and families, justice social work, adult services, New to Scotland, homelessness and alcohol and drug recovery services within the HSCP.
Three members of staff are expected to qualify by May and a further six, who were accepted on to the programme following a selection process before the summer, will commence their studies in October.
The report added: “A key performance strength of this initiative is its dual impact.
“It addresses recognised barriers to qualification, such as loss of income and job insecurity, while investing in staff retention and professional advancement.
“Course fees are fully funded and participants maintain their substantive posts and salaries, removing critical financial obstacles that have historically limited access to qualification routes.
“To support high-quality practice learning, the programme also introduced peer mentoring, dedicated learning support and structured study time, ensuring students are well-prepared for both academic achievement and professional practice.
“The ‘Grow our Own’ pathway is therefore a long-term strategic response to the national social work recruitment challenge and directly contributes to a stable, skilled and motivated local workforce.”
