Retention fees proposed to keep care workers in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire County Council is facing a 32% vacancy rate for adult social care workers

Adult social care workers could be awarded a retention payment in a bid to stem staff shortages.

Cambridgeshire County Council is to consider paying social workers 20% of their starting salary over three years to stop further staff leaving.

A report for the authority's adults and health committee said some social work teams had unfilled posts of 32%.

The investment would cost £302,000 in 2022 and £152,000 in 2023 and 2024.

The report warns that not implementing the scheme could lead to increased staff turnover, the Local Democracy Reporting Service heard.

This would result in "ever increasing" cost of agency social workers and a reduced quality of service, and would expose the county council to a "considerable level of risk", it said.

"The impact of turnover in teams is significant, causing backlogs and delays to allocate services to meet need early and prevent escalation." it added.

"It also puts additional pressure on social workers in the service, with high case-loads, resulting in reduced job satisfaction and stress, on occasion resulting in sickness and absences."

The teams planned to be covered by the payment scheme included older people and physical disability, mental health, the young adults team and children's disability services.

The county council has already introduced a retention payment scheme for its children's social workers.

In November the county council said the situation regarding social workers was "critical".

Councillors will decide at a meeting on 13 January whether to approve the package.

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