Following the Department for Education (DfE) consultation, it became clear that demand for permanent social workers across London Local Authorities would increase significantly. This presented an opportunity for Caritas Recruitment to leverage its growing network of social work professionals and support local authorities in building a stable, permanent workforce.
The launch of the FLiP Framework by the Association of London Directors of Children’s Services (ALDCS), in partnership with YPO, London Councils and the London Innovation and Improvement Alliance (LIIA), provided Caritas with a compliant and efficient route to market. After successfully securing a place on the framework, Caritas was engaged by Brent Council to recruit six permanent Looked After Children (LAC) Social Workers.
Because terms and conditions had already been established through the framework agreement, implementation was swift, allowing recruitment activity to begin immediately and efficiently.
Client Objective
Brent Council was seeking to reduce its reliance on locum social workers and strengthen the stability of its Looked After Children service through the recruitment of permanent staff. The council had experienced challenges through traditional recruitment methods, with many applicants lacking the required qualifications or relevant experience. This resulted in lengthy shortlisting processes, a high volume of unsuitable applications and ongoing workforce pressures.
Caritas was tasked with identifying and engaging qualified, experienced social workers who were not only suitable for permanent positions but also motivated to join the LAC service. One of the key challenges was balancing candidate availability with suitability, as many experienced professionals were interested in alternative service areas, while available candidates did not always possess the required level of experience.
Client Success
To overcome these challenges, Caritas implemented an innovative candidate engagement strategy centred around a dedicated recruitment webinar.The event was promoted across social media channels and shared directly with Caritas’ extensive candidate network. The webinar featured Brent Council’s recruiting managers, HR representatives and Caritas account managers, providing candidates with a unique opportunity to hear first-hand experiences of working within Brent Council and the benefits of permanent employment.
The initiative proved highly successful, generating strong engagement and positive feedback from attendees, many of whom described the session as “very insightful”. As a direct result of the campaign, the conversion rate from sourced candidates to submissions increased by 30%, enabling Caritas to successfully fulfil all six vacancies.
Results Delivered
- Successfully recruited six permanent Looked After Children Social Workers for Brent Council.
- Reduced recruitment lead times through the FLiP Framework agreement.
- Delivered a 30% increase in candidate conversion from sourcing to submission.
- Enhanced candidate engagement through a targeted webinar campaign.
- Provided Brent Council with access to a highly qualified and pre-vetted talent pool.
- Supported Brent Council in reducing dependency on agency staff and progressing workforce stabilisation objectives.