The Department for Education (DfE) recently announced that it would be scrapping its plans to cap agency social work pay at the same level as equivalent permanent pay. Agencies have been against the plans from the start for fear that changes and restrictions made to agency social worker pay would lead to many social workers leaving the field.
The news was issued in response to a government consultation (which was conducted in relation to the department’s children’s social care reform agenda) in which 1,200 responses were recorded, the majority of which came from social workers.
The planned agency pay cap has been divisive, and its scrapping has seen equally polarised opinion. On the agency side of things, the news has been welcomed, whilst others have been frustrated at the consultation’s watered-down outcomes.
Changes Divide Respondents
We live in an era of divided opinion and polarised viewpoints, and the social care field is no different. Although more respondents tended towards backing national rules regarding agency pay being put in place, there was still a very significant number of respondents (33%) who voted in the negative.
We’ve had our fair share of divisive votes, surveys and referendums in this country over the past few years – there’s no need to mention the obvious one… – and this most recent example is no different.
It’s worth stressing at this point, when talking about facts, figures and statistics that it can be easy to lose sight of the people at the heart of the issue, the social workers. And whether social workers work in permanent positions or are working via an agency, they do an immense and invaluable job of caring for some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.
Above all else, gratitude for that level of care should remain at the forefront of everybody’s thinking. So, what was planned before the amendments?
What Was Originally Planned?
In the original plans from the government, locum social work pay was going to be capped at the equivalent of permanent social work pay.
One of the main reasons for this, as advocated for by parties supporting the changes, was that a disparity between agency pay and permanent pay leads to a high turnover of social workers, which can affect the overall level of care that children, young people and families receive.
Those who were against the plans (and who welcomed scrapping the pay cap) spoke to how agency work was the only real option for social workers who wanted flexibility in their work life and that this flexibility was one of the things keeping the profession as attractive as possible – something which is desperately needed at the minute.
A Decline in the Number of New Social Workers
This viewpoint is especially understandable when you consider that, in 2022, there wasn’t only a decline in the number of social workers starting family and children posts (from around 5,500 in 2021 down to below 5,000 in 2022), but there were also more social workers leaving posts than starting new ones.
Clearly, there is a desperate need for these talented and compassionate professionals, and agency work (along with its typically higher level of pay and greater flexibility) remains one of the more attractive options out there.
And whilst there’s undeniably a need for local authorities and councils to save money, where possible, there’s also a train of thought that believes the pay cap was short-sighted and would’ve led to even more social workers leaving the profession than currently are. Something that seems foolhardy with the demand for social work professionals so high at the minute and vacancies growing.
Such a complex and in-demand professional field brings a considerable amount of nuance, and there was always going to be blowback on both sides, no matter what the government proposed.
Although the cap was scrapped, the overall plans were amended rather than written off altogether. The planned dates were also shunted down the line (from the Spring of 2024 to the Autumn of the same year).
The Changes (and their Amendments)
The specific changes (along with the new proposals) were as follows:
Price Cap
The main plan was for agency pay to be capped for agency children’s social workers at the same average pay as a permanent children’s social worker.
The idea of a price cap is still in place, but it’s to be agreed between councils and local authorities without there necessarily being a link to permanent pay equivalents.
Scrapping Agency Project Teams
Project teams have become more frequently used in recent times. When there is an exceptionally high workload or many vacancies, suppliers send entire teams of children’s social workers rather than allotting individual positions.
These teams will no longer be scrapped; however, rather than being under the agency/supplier’s supervision, they’ll be under the council’s management.
Prohibiting Early-Career Temporary Work
The original plan was to prevent children’s social workers from engaging in locum work until they’d first completed five years of permanent council work.
Not only that, but they would have to complete an assessed and supported year in employment, also known as an ASYE. The amended plan was to reduce this period to three years and remove the need for an ASYE.
What’s the Upshot, then?
If you’ve got to the end of this and you’re left none the wiser as to what’s gone on, then don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.
There were plans to bring agency children’s social work pay in line with the average permanent equivalent, and whilst those cap ideas remain in place, they’ve been modified slightly. Project teams aren’t being banned, though their management is being changed, and there will still be a restriction on when children’s social workers can start doing locum work; however, it will be three rather than five years.
