The experiences and perspectives of agency social workers in England: Findings from interviews with those working in adult services

Cornes, Michelle, Manthorpe, Jill, Moriarty, Joanna, Hussein, Shereen (2013) The experiences and perspectives of agency social workers in England: Findings from interviews with those working in adult services. Social Work & Social Sciences Review, 16 (1). pp. 67-83. ISSN 0953-5225. (doi:10.1921/703160106) (Access to this publication is currently restricted. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided)

Abstract

One of the solutions to the shortages of social workers in England has been to employ social workers on a temporary or locum basis, often these social workers are called agency social workers as their contract of employment is with a employment agency rather than the social work employer. This paper explores the background to the use of agency social workers in the current context of government efforts to reduce the expenditure of public sector employers on agency staff. Data were collected through interviews with 40 social workers working with adults in England, in three diverse local authority settings; spanning those social workers whose careers in social work were in their early years; those with that were experienced and third group who while experienced and specialist were considering possible retirement or career moves. The aim of the interviews was to investigate motivations and experiences around this type of social work employment. The findings of the interviews are presented, with illustrations of ‘push and pull’ factors around agency working. The article concludes that agency working presents opportunities for social workers that may be within the power of social work employers to foster more generally, such as ways to minimise ‘office politics’ and to provide greater variety of work.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1921/703160106
Additional information:	Unmapped bibliographic data: M3 - Article [Field not mapped to EPrints] U2 - 10.1921/703160106 [Field not mapped to EPrints] JO - Social Work & Social Sciences Review [Field not mapped to EPrints]
Uncontrolled keywords:	social worker, Social Care, temporary workers
Subjects:	H Social Sciences
Divisions:	Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Social Policy Sociology and Social Research Faculties > Social Sciences > School of Social Policy Sociology and Social Research > Personal Social Services Research Unit
Depositing User:	Shereen Hussein
Date Deposited:	13 Nov 2018 11:49 UTC
Last Modified:	29 May 2019 20:55 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/68353 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)
Hussein, Shereen:	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7946-0717