The government is to put an extra £58m into the recruitment and retention of social workers, following the death of Baby P.

In an effort to boost the numbers coming into the profession, children’s secretary Ed Balls yesterday announced a recruitment campaign starting this month aimed at persuading 500 former social workers to return.

The government will also sponsor 200 university placements from this autumn, create a new masters degree and take steps to improve on-the-job training.

Ari Sengupta, head of sales at Synergy Group, told Recruiter: “Skills shortage in this sector is at its critical point and any investment to attract new talent can only benefit the end users. As a recruiter we look forward to being part of this process to augment the intake of fresh talent into this sector.”

Kate Bleasdale, vice chairman of Healthcare Locums, told Recruiter:  “Yesterday’s initiative from the government is certainly welcome, but our concern is that it may not be enough to address the current crisis in which 30% of social work posts in the UK are unfilled.

“We believe that this is a problem that demands an innovative solution, which is why we actively source qualified social care professionals from Commonwealth countries such as Australia and Canada.”

Dean Kelly, chief executive at Synarbor, told Recruiter that extra funding is always welcome.

“We need to know how this funding is to be distributed and used, as this will have an immense impact on its effectiveness. £58m sounds a large number, but it equates to less than a £1,000 per qualified social worker, working in England, therefore exercising an intelligent recruitment strategy is imperative.

“I see this as a fantastic opportunity for local authorities to embrace the recruitment experts, share in our knowledge pool and look for a collaborative solution that not only casts the resourcing net far and wide, but one that can improve the public perception of a social worker.

“It is a profession that should be admired and respected in the same way we do for our teachers, unfortunately the manner in which they are presently recruited makes them more akin to cleaners and gardeners.

“Ed Balls is correct that changes in this area will take time, but there has to be some short-term benching and challenging of actions, along with accountability for implementation.

“Although if worked correctly, five years is a realistic time scale, however, if they lay a poor foundation, sooner or later the whole house will have to come down before an effective change can be made.”