Inverclyde has had to “think outside the box” to tackle challenges in the recruitment and retention of social workers, an elected member has said.
Councillor Francesca Brennan, convener of the social work and social care scrutiny panel, made the point as she commended three initiatives in the area.
A recent report to the panel acknowledged the success of ‘Grow our Own’, support for newly qualified social workers (NQSWs) and development of a pathway for masters (MSc) students.
They are all delivered by Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) which runs services on behalf of the council and health board.
Councillor Brennan said: “It has been extremely difficult to recruit social workers in recent times so we’ve had to think outside the box and come up with innovative ways to retain existing staff and make it more attractive to welcome new recruits.
“These three schemes in particular have proven to be hugely successful in achieving those objectives, which has a positive knock-on effect for the existing workforce and, of course, the people in our community that they work so hard to support.
“Well done to HSCP staff in developing these initiatives and for continued success in bringing on the next generation of social workers.”
They were set up to help tackle challenges in recruiting and retaining social workers – a national issue exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The NQSW scheme is a programme of training and support that was trialled in Inverclyde and has been rolled out across the country, the local authority said.
Monthly forums were set up to provide group support and peer mentoring and learning, which participants said provided opportunities to share experiences, focus on professional development and ensure protected learning time.
Currently, three NQSWs are participating, with an additional 14 social workers expected in the near future.
The ‘Grow our Own’ initiative offers a structured development pathway for existing paraprofessional staff to undertake the social work degree.
To date, a total of 15 employees have been supported, including three postgraduate and 12 undergraduate candidates from across a range of services, including children and families, justice social work, adult services, New to Scotland, homelessness and alcohol and drug recovery.
Three staff members are expected to qualify by May and a further six employees who were accepted onto the programme following a competitive selection process prior to the summer commenced their studies in October.
