AQO 2023/22-27 Oral question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health for his assessment of the availability of social workers in the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.
Asked by Connie Egan MLA on 8 May 2025
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 8 May 2025
- Answer due by
- 20 May 2025
- Answered
- 20 May 202512 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 20 May 2025. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Mr Nesbitt
The South Eastern Trust reports that, as of 12 May 2025, 929 social workers were employed across adult and children’s social work services, which equates to 861 whole-time equivalents. On 31 March 2023, there were 784 whole-time equivalent social workers in the South Eastern Trust. On 31 March 2024, there were 807. I am pleased to report, therefore, that, between 2023 and 2025, the number of social workers has increased by 77. The trust has 53 social work vacancies at band 6 and 11 at band 7. An additional 95 staff are absent from work due to sickness. The trust informed us that it is actively managing sickness levels and providing staff with support to enable them to return to work. Vacancy and absence rates can impact on the availability of social workers, leading to the use of waiting lists or unallocated cases to manage referrals. The trust has implemented a review and monitoring process to ensure the safe management of cases that await allocation in children’s services. The South Eastern Trust participates in a number of Department-led initiatives that are aimed at stabilising the HSC social work workforce, including the fast recruitment of newly qualified workers. It is envisaged that the majority of the 53 vacant band 6 posts in the trust will be offered to newly qualified social workers between June and September 2025. In fact, in the coming months, approximately 240 vacant posts will be offered to newly qualified social workers across all five trusts. The South Eastern Trust has advised that it is prioritising attraction and retention initiatives for social workers and developing the use of a bank of social work staff to fill temporary vacancies. Despite those efforts, there continues to be an inadequate supply of social workers to meet service demands regionally. My Department reviews regularly and seeks to increase the number of commissioned training places to meet the demand.
Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken)
Ms Egan, you have 30 seconds.
Ms Egan
Thank you. I thank the Minister for his answer. I understand that the social care workforce review in 2022 indicated that 60 more university training places for social workers will be required every year, but, last year, there were 20 more. How many places will there be in the upcoming year? Will there be enough to meet the demand?
Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken)
Minister, you have 15 seconds.
Mr Nesbitt
I do not have the exact number to hand. We have made great strides in recruitment and getting away from using agency staff, so we are much more efficient. However, I am afraid that I will have to write to the Member with the exact number that she seeks.
Mr Deputy Speaker (Dr Aiken)
Thank you, Minister, for keeping to time. That ends the period for listed questions. We move to 15 minutes of topical questions.