Concerns for care staff at Gloucestershire County Council

The adult social care service has seen their turnover double over the last 18 months, according to the council’s draft statement of accounts for 2021/22.

The figures have gone from a low of 7.6 per cent in the 12 months to September 2021, to 14.1 per cent in the year to March 2022.

Turnover within children’s services has followed an increasing trend over the last year rising from a low of 10 per cent in March 2021 to 13.6 per cent.

This is the highest level of turnover in more than two years.

The report says turnover of children’s social workers is particularly high, increasing for six successive quarters from 11.2 per cent to 24.8 per cent.

These percentages include newly qualified social workers and senior social workers but excludes agency workers.

The report says action taken by children’s services leaders in quarter three has led to some improvement in workforce capacity and stability in the fourth quarter.

At the end of March 2022, the number of children open to social care was at its highest level recorded to date, with almost 4,600 children undergoing assessment or receiving support, protection of care.

This is 12 per cent higher than the 2019/20 average.

Quarter four also saw an increasing number of referrals (just over 2,500, with more than 1,000 of these received in March alone).

This is an increase of 6 per cent in average monthly referrals to social care in 2021/22 compared with 2019/20.

The number of children in care during the fourth quarter was 841  children in care at the end of March.

This compares to an average of 778 children in 2020/21 and 727 in 2019/20.

If you are a care worker who has recently left and would like to speak anonymously about the challenges you faced in Gloucestershire please email carmelo.garcia@reachplc.com.