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Local government pay deal agreed following strike ballots

Community Care

This year’s local government pay deal has been agreed after the biggest union failed to gain a sufficient mandate to take effective strike action. The settlement is worth 3-4% for social workers, similar to the deal received by practitioners in Scotland, and above the rate of inflation in the UK, which has ranged between 1.7%

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Social workers continuing to struggle with workload, admin and increasing need, finds ‘health check’

Community Care

Social workers are continuing to struggle with workload, administrative burdens and increasing need, according to an annual survey of professionals in England. Social workers satisfied with remote working support Overall, the average score across these questions was 66 out of 100, similar to last year’s 67.

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Fast-track social work scheme to end in 2027 after government decides to withdraw funding

Community Care

A fast-track scheme for training social workers will end in 2027 after the government decided to withdraw funding on financial grounds. A department spokesperson said: Mental health social workers provide an invaluable service, and they are critical to a thriving healthcare system.

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Unions lodge local government pay claim for 2025-26

Community Care

Unions have lodged their pay claim for local government and school support staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 2025-26. Less generous pay deal for council staff This was worth 3-4% for most social workers, significantly less than the 5.5% Meanwhile, the government has budgeted for pay increases of 2.8%

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The 2025 World Social Work Day Theme & Poster

The International Association Of Schools Of Social

The International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), the International Council of Social Welfare (ICSW), and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) have jointly announced the theme for the 2025 World Social Work Day: ‘Strengthening Intergenerational Solidarity for Enduring Wellbeing’.

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Record numbers of children’s social workers in post but fewer holding cases, figures reveal

Community Care

Record numbers of children’s social workers are in post in England but there has been a fall in the number holding cases, Department for Education (DfE) figures have revealed. The proportion of FTE agency social workers in the workforce also fell, from 17.9% to 34,328.2, to 34,328.2, However, at 5,613.4 in 2022-23.

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Placing social workers in mental health trusts can help tackle out of area placements, says report

Community Care

Integrating local authority social workers within NHS mental health trusts can help reduce the number of “harmful” out of area hospital placements (OAPs), a report has found. This had had the unintended consequence of social workers who lacked mental health experience being assigned to support a patient.