Freedom of Information Act 2000
Information Request 11049440
1. Do you sponsor social work students? If so, how many each year and subject to what conditions?
Yes, we do sponsor social work students and it depends on the funding available from Devon County Council (DCC) as to how many. We have sponsored the past five students for the Open University programme. This is three Postgraduate Diploma students and two BA students.
2. How many newly qualified social workers (NQSW) have you employed in the last 12 months? Please state if sponsored or other newly qualified
10 NQSW starters in the previous 12 months. We cannot identify if any of these NQSW’s are sponsored.
3. What are the retention and promotion rates for both of these categories of social workers (SW) going back as far as you can?
| Years | Count of NQSW Starters | Leavers | Promoted to Experienced SW |
| 2018/19 | 17 | 5 |
15 |
| 2019/20 | 6 | 5 | |
| 2020/21 | 10 | ||
| Grand Total | 33 | 5 | 20 |
4. Please provide any SW recruitment and retention strategy/policy document that you have. This includes any local memorandum between regional employers
We do not have a Social worker retention policy at this moment that we can share.
5. Have you recruited, on a strategic basis, internationally trained social workers over the last three years? If so, broken down by year, how many and from which countries? Broken down by year, what is the retention rate?
| Years | Australian | Other | Zimbabwean | Indian | Nigerian | Total per Year | Leavers |
| 18/19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 19/20 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 3 | |
| Grand Total | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3 |
6. Please provide details of the relocation package made available to internationally trained SWs. Please be specific of obligations to repay if leaving employment prematurely? Broken down by year of those who have left what proportion have repaid or failed to repay relocation that was repayable?
We have a few qualified SW from South Africa and Zimbabwe that we appointed in 2019.
Within the last three years we have had four leavers who received a relocation package.
- 2018/19 1 leaver (no repayment required)
- 2019/20 N/A
- 2020/21 3 leavers (1 Repaid, 2 Not required)
Proportional repayment is required for employees who leave voluntarily within 2 years of appointment:
- 100% of the money provided if they leave within 6 months of appointment.
- 75% if they leave between 6-12 months of appointment.
- 50% if they leave between 12 to 18 months of appointment.
- 25% if they leave between 18 to 24 months of appointment.
Please also provide details of the pastoral and professional induction programs made available to internationally trained SWs.
They attend a month induction with DCC on their arrival, monthly mentoring coaching session with mentor, all training access, monthly support groups and attend BAME support group. Plus, anything separate they undertake in their own teams. They also have time available during the day to contact their families back at home especially if there is a time difference. All DCC staff must complete this online training as standard.
Compulsory Training provided online:
- Welcome to Devon eLearning
- Data Protection and Cyber Security
- Information Security Incidents
- Equality Diversity and Inclusion essentials 2020/2022
- Health and Safety 2020
- Display Screen Equipment
- Accident and Incident Reporting
- Fire Safety Training 2020
- Introduction to First Aid eLearning
- iTrent Guidance
- Flexible working
- Lone working
- Sickness Absence Process at DCC
- Smoking Policy
7.Which Officer takes lead responsibility for recruitment and retention of child protection Social Workers?
Line managers are responsible for the Social workers on their team.
8. Is recruitment from outside of the UK on the local authority’s agenda? If so, what numbers and source countries do you have in mind? How and where do you publicise such initiatives?
Our applications are open and available to everyone online. They can be found by anyone who searches on our website. This would apply to applicants outside of the UK also.
9. Please provide your most recently recorded data concerning the use of agency children’s social workers
59 Agency Children’s Social Workers from iTris.
10. How much does it costs to support a trainee social worker through a social work Degree? If you have recruited internationally on a strategic level what has this cost? Please include separately items such as relocation, agency fees if applicable, support to bring family members
The cost depends on the level of support the trainee Social worker needs. We do provide relocation funds for qualifying applicants.