The Executive Director of Resources submitted a report to the Committee, in its capacity as the sole member of Brighter Futures for Children Ltd (BFfC), seeking agreement to a proposed approach to recruitment and retention payments to Qualified Social Workers in the Together for Families (TfF) service.  Attached to the report at Appendix 1 was a report that had been submitted to BFfC setting out the proposals in detail. 

The report noted that the proposal had resulted from the work of the HR Taskforce Group which had been established in July 2022 to focus on recruitment, retention, and conversion of agency workers to permanent hires.  As part of the Group’s work, it had been identified that it was particularly difficult to recruit and retain permanent Qualified Social Workers in the TfF service.  The Group had therefore recommended a recruitment and retention payment for these roles to create a stable team of permanent staff, by recognising the market pressures that prevented the team from being able to recruit and retain staff in sufficient numbers at the normal graded salary for the role.  Attached at Appendix 1 was a report setting out the proposal in more detail, which had been submitted to BFfC and approved.  Approval was now required from the Committee, acting as sole member of BFfC, and trade unions and colleagues and employees in the children’s social care team would then be consulted on the proposal.

Resolved –

That the Committee, in its capacity as sole member for BFfC, agree the recommended approach of implementing a recruitment and retention (R&R) payment for QSWs working within the TfF service to create a stable team of permanent hires, by recognising the market pressures that prevents the team from being able to recruit and retain staff in sufficient numbers at the normal graded salary for the role.