Co-operate to accumulate
A new programme in the Northeast is seeking to bring the ‘social’ back to social work
The scheme, which is being piloted across the Northeast, could provide local authorities around the country with a significant degree of relief in the current environment of short-staffing and insufficient recruitment. The current recruitment situation is leaving many authorities around the UK without the number of social workers they need, and despite rising unemployment there is currently no sign of an end to the problem. With this in mind, an experienced team of experts in the social enterprise sector, including a former social worker, has launched the Social Work Co-Operative model. The intention is not only to supply high quality, temporary staff to local authorities, but also to give social workers themselves an opportunity to benefit from better terms, conditions and support through the mutually beneficial co-operative approach.Image
The enterprise has been set up by business development director Dr Guy Turnbull, who has worked across the UK as a social economy consultant, social/ community enterprise expert Carol Bell and Walter Young, founder and co director of successful not-for-profit agency, Team Fostering. The three Northeast-based directors believe their model could provide a new level of service and will be able to fill the current gaps in the market along with giving social workers the benefit of feeling part of an organisation where they will get a share of the success. This approach is already bearing fruit, according to the directors, who report that social workers from around the country have expressed their interest and have asked to be considered when the plan is rolled out nationwide, as is the medium to long-term goal.
Mutuality lies at the heart of the co-operative, with social workers, local authorities, children and adult service users all set to benefit equally. “What the SWC will offer is completely unique,” says Turnbull. “Firstly the temporary staff will have a profit share and a minority stake in the enterprise. “Unlike a typical locum agency, the SWC will offer all temporary workers the opportunity to share in the profits of the business.”
The structure of the organisation means there will be no external shareholders, ensuring higher than usual levels of investment will be made in support, guidance and supervision systems available to the temporary staff.
“This is in recognition of the fact that many social workers and care staff work in emotionally demanding and sometimes traumatic situations,” said Dr Turnbull. On the other hand, compared to a traditional agency with shareholders and profit margins to appease, the co-op can offer local authorities skilled and experienced social workers at an extremely competitive.
At the same time all the staff registered with them will become members and benefit from profit share, in addition to having a say in how the organisation is run. The directors are also committed to the organisation being highly ethical, as perhaps befits a co-operative organisation in such a field, working on the basis of putting people before profit. Indeed this is a maxim which all three claim has been integral part to their careers to date. Once the format has been tested in the Northeast, and assuming it is the success story that the directors anticipate, the plan is establish a social franchising network to roll out a number of similar social work agencies across the UK.
The appeal to local authorities, says Young, lies in the fact that this scheme will allow them to get a better financial deal and a higher level of service. Staff, meanwhile, benefit from working for a compassionate employer where training, conditions and ethical integrity are foremost, and the potential benefits of all of this for service users are self-evident.
Young concludes: “At a time when the shortage of social workers is really reaching crisis point in many areas we believe we have created a unique solution which will benefit everyone.”
