The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) has written to the Department of Health (DoH) in Northern Ireland asking for urgent clarity about its threat to ‘ban’ agency social workers within weeks.

An increasing number of social workers want to work through the 14 on-contract recruitment agencies in Northern Ireland that provide agency workers to trusts. Many people prefer working through agencies because that offers flexibility, better rates of pay and more frequent payment. The opportunity to increase staff based on need and workload helps trusts to manage shortages of social workers which exist across the UK.

But the DoH wants to stop agency social workers from delivering services for trusts in a bid to save money by the end of June 2023. The REC predicts the impact of the plans will see agency social workers quitting the profession entirely and service-users will receive worse care as a result.

REC’s warning comes as a survey it conducted recently shows concern among social workers about the impacts of curbs on agency work.

Kate Shoesmith, REC Deputy Chief Executive, said:

“This ‘ban’ on the use of social workers employed by agencies risks wrecking social care in Northern Ireland. The impact is likely fewer social workers in the system overall which will harm morale for those left behind to deal with already bulging caseloads. All types of workers, not just those in social care, want to work more flexibly for a range of reasons including childcare or elderly parent related responsibilities. Forcing people to work in ways they do not want will strip an already struggling sector of much needed resource and risk worse care for vulnerable people.

“With just weeks to go until the proposed ban, our members who supply social workers to trusts are shocked and concerned about these plans. We are asking the Department to pause and consult with agencies around how best to work with them to support trusts. An outright ban is short-sighted and impractical given existing worker shortages. It is concerning that officials are side-lining recruiters who have long worked in partnership with them by not consulting them about the plans. This is disregarding recruiters’ expertise in workforce planning and ability to build proactive recruitment and retention strategies for short term political gain. Let us collaborate to tackle staff shortages and provide value of taxpayers’ money. The lack of a Northern Ireland Assembly means there is less debate and challenge about this change of tack which could lead to immense pressure on existing services already stretched to breaking point.