Is this App a ‘Pre-Selection’ tool?

Sort of but not really as the data displayed is limited in order to ensure GDPR compliance.

It’s simply a quick way to have a look into our active candidate database in order to evaluate our ability to introduce you to high quality agency and permanent candidates currently seeking a job/career move. This data is kept current and is updated daily. Think of it as a snapshot of ‘who’s out there and looking to move’ at the moment .

Is it free to use?

Yes. Completely.

It’s a free information service and always will be free to use and browse.

Do I need to give you my contact details to use this?

If I do, will I be ‘pestered’?

No you do not need to give us your details. The only time you would be asked for your contact details is if you spot a person of interest and ask us, via the App, to send you their details. (FYI, unlike many of our competitor’s, we always ask candidates for their permission before we send their details to a potential hirer/employer.)

We do not ‘pester’ our clients.

Do you observe the DFE’s guidance on agency social worker use?

Yes. We are fully onboard with the DFE’s guidance and in addition those of the ADCS.

We also observe Local Authority Pledges, such as the one in Greater Manchester, that are in place across the country. Since we started in business we have always concentrated on ensuring that local authorities get reliable workers, promoting a stable workforce, and we work hard to ensure that both clients and workers get the best possible ‘financials’ achievable under prevailing market and economic conditions.

Some More About Us

A Few Q & As:

Q: Do you handle permanent recruitment and can you offer temp to perm solutions when needed?

A: Yes to both questions. Our terms for this will be provided on request by email from here

Q: When supplying agency workers, do you work with/through the managing and neutral vendor organisations?

A: No. Our agency was specifically set up to work directly with clients and we do not engage with managed or neutral vendors.

Q: Why not?

A: This was, and still is, down to three significant reasons…….

• Most if not all of the workers for whom we act as agent,  for a number of reasons,  prefer not to take (or will avoid taking) contracts via managing or neutral vendors. Thus they are not always available to clients sourcing via a vendor such as Reed or Comensura. (if asked, we are happy to expand on why these workers seek to avoid working via these vendors)
• Cost to Client: We recognise that the cost of agency staff is a very significant burden on the public sector and specifically on LA budgets. Usually, we can provide the services of workers at a lower cost than that incurred through a vendor. (a worked cost breakdown example can be found further down the page and please bear in mind that the hourly charge rates vendors quote will often not include the cost to the client of the vendor itself.)
• Stability: The use of ‘Contract’ staffing by an organisation often brings problems of workforce stability. Unlike a vendor, we have a close, direct, working relationship with those we act for and, due to these close ‘hands-on’ relationships, we believe that we are much better placed to ensure a stable workforce of contract staff for our clients than perhaps a vendor working at arm’s length with them can. We fully appreciate that lack of stability has a significant impact on cost to the LAs and more importantly a likely disruption in service for the children and families that are being supported. We are highly cognisant of the need to minimise this issue in the provision of contract staffing solutions.

Our Compliance Protocols:

We have a rigorous selection and vetting process and every agency (temporary/contract) candidate that we supply has had the following checks completed:

• Full CV with all gaps in work history investigated and explained
• Professional references obtained from last 3 employers (see example of our reference form below) or a personal reference from a qualified professional on those occasions when that is necessary
• Full DBS check completed – Enhanced DBS
• Right to work checked and confirmed (Passport/Visa)
• Valid Driving Licence
• Proof of NI status
• Proof of Qualification(s)
• Social Work England Registered and up to date
• Proof of Address (within 3 months)

About the (apparent) ‘high’ cost of agency staff:

In terms of immediate cash based cost, agency staff may appear more costly than it should be. Counterintuitively, this is usually not the case as the makeup of the agency charge can be misunderstood, making agency staff appear very expensive to use. When the additional costs associated with permanent staff, such as paid holidays, employer’s pension contributions and any staff benefits, are included in a cost comparison of permanent vs agency staffing, the cost difference between the two staffing arrangements are often not that great.

That said, agency staffing arrangements will always cost a bit more. This is because there are compensatory elements built in for the worker, recognising as an example that there are no paid holidays or other benefits provided by the hirer. Also, even with the DFE recommendations, in reality the worker has little more than a couple of weeks job security in an assignment and sometimes less.

That said, there is no doubt that some agencies have taken unreasonable advantage of the supply issues in the social care sector, due to rising social demand and not enough qualified social workers available to cover the service,  by ‘rinsing’ the LA’s budgets.