Where are all the social workers?

OLDHAM is facing a social worker crisis with one in seven jobs vacant across the borough, it has been claimed.

Figures show 13 per cent of social worker posts in Oldham are unfilled, with the shortage blamed on low staff morale caused by excessive bureaucracy imposed by Government.

The figures, obtained by the Conservative Party under the Freedom of Information Act, refer to the state of the profession last November — two weeks before the horrific Baby P case in London became public.

Tory spokesman for children Tim Loughton said across England there had been a 30 per cent rise in vacancy rates since 2005, from 11 per cent to 14.6 per cent, based on figures from 52 local authorities.

More than half of local authorities had a vacancy rate higher than 10 per cent, prompting concerns about child protection, Mr Loughton said.

In eight local authorities — including Haringey, where the mother of a 17-month-old infant known as Baby P, and the mother’s partner, were able to torture and kill the infant under the noses of social services — at least a third of the required number of social workers are missing.

Mr Loughton added: “The crisis in social services began well before the tragic death of Baby P and other similar recent cases. In failing to take action the Government has created a vicious circle of over-stretch and under recruitment. Unsurprisingly, demoralised and exhausted experts are leaving and very few are coming in to fill their shoes.”

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls hit back at the Tories, saying the Conservatives’ spending plans would see the non-schools budget of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) cut by £300m in 2009/10.

Mr Balls said: “The Tory commitment to cut children’s services this year would be disastrous. This is the equivalent of £2m of cuts to every local authority children’s services department in England, just at the time when we need to continue investing to improve these vital services.”

A DCSF spokeswoman said a taskforce had been set up to identify any barriers social workers faced in doing their jobs effectively and to make recommendations for improvements and long-term reform in social work.