30,000 apply for social work scheme

An eye-catching campaign to recruit more social workers has attracted 30,000 applicants, the Government says.

The Be The Difference drive, launched in September, used simple images such as a cup of tea or a bouncing ball to demonstrate the means by which social workers encourage children to talk.

Officials from the Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) said the strategy had been an overwhelming success, with six out of 10 potential recruits saying they were seeking a career change and around one in 10 saying they wanted to leave the business world for the rewards and challenges of frontline practice.

"The response to the Be The Difference campaign has been staggering and we are delighted that so many excellent candidates from a variety of backgrounds are keen to become social workers," Keith Brumfitt, CWDC's director of strategy, said.

"It is important that we continue to value, invest and support those who have, and continue to do, an excellent job in the profession, and who are crucial to the protection of vulnerable children.

"We need the skills that social workers offer in order to strengthen the children's workforce and to help to provide a world class service for children and young people."

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