The South East Memorandum of Cooperation Guide for Social Workers

What is the Memorandum (MoC) The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) is a voluntary agreement between 16 local authorities in the South East of England. It is designed to encourage authorities to work more collaboratively across the region to manage the demand and supply of children’s social workers.

Impact of Competition between Local Authorities Competition has contributed to a 37% increase in the use of agency staff over the last 2 years It has also resulted in increased social worker turnover This has led to increasing agency pay rates In places this has led to instability and a negative impact on the quality of services

Why is the MoC being Implemented? Agency workers have an important role to play in the workforce However, over reliance on agency workers is bad for children and social workers Ofsted identify excessive turnover of staff as a key issue for children’s services Agency staff cost 25-40% more than directly employed staff

Is the MoC just about saving money? No, it is part of a plan to re-balance the workforce with more permanent staff Rapid turnover of staff is bad for morale, consistency of service and team working It is unfair that agency workers sometimes benefit from higher pay rates than permanent workers with similar skills and experience It is not just about the money, but value is important. Spending excessively on agency staff limits our ability to use resources to benefit the children and families we work with.

Which authorities are in the MoC? There are 19 authorities in the South East Region To date 17 of the 19 have joined the MoC We are hopeful the remaining 2 will also join Bracknell Forest Brighton and Hove Bucks East Sussex Hampshire Isle of Wight Kent Medway Milton Keynes Oxford Portsmouth Southampton Surrey West Berks West Sussex Windsor and Maidenhead Wokingham

Is the MoC Unique to the South East No, many other regions have similar arrangements in place The East of England have had one since September 2014 Every region bordering the South East either has a MoC or is developing one

Quality of Agency Staff In addition to the cost of agency staff there are also concerns about the quality There are many examples of poor quality agency staff being recycled between authorities, often leaving cases in poor order Rapid turnover of agency staff and limited use of references contributes to this issue The MoC introduces a standard reference for agency staff

4 Key Aims of the MoC Improve the quality of referencing for agency workers Stop local authorities aggressively head hunting staff from each other Stop the costs of agency staffing from continuing to escalate Remove the incentives for permanent staff to choose agency work

Standard Reference for Agency Workers We have a standard reference template that will be used for all agency workers Local Authorities will complete it comprehensively and honestly It includes an appraisal of the applicant’s ability to work as part of a team, prioritise work and keep case records up to date

Headhunting We have agreed to stop headhunting staff in the region There are numerous reports of agencies relentlessly targeting social workers This contributes to turnover and instability in teams and services

Agency Pay Cap Local Authorities in the MoC will not exceed agreed pay caps for agency staff This is the hourly rate paid to the worker excluding the agency fee

Agency Pay Cap Negotiations will always start at the bottom of the pay cap range The pay cap has been calculated considering actual rates paid in the region, it is also linked to London region rates Consequently the cap is realistic and market tested The cap applies to new assignments from the 1 st April 2016 (i.e. does not effect existing arrangements made prior to the MoC)

Removing the incentive for permanent staff to move to agency work Clause 8 of the MoC states Any children’s social worker leaving a permanent contract will not be employed on an agency contract by another authority in the region within 6 months. This would not apply to permanent staff moving to permanent roles in other authorities within the region. Social workers who are made redundant from a permanent post will be exempt from this requirement.

Cooling off period for permanent staff moving to agency work When hiring new staff managers will check that they have not worked as a permanent children’s social worker in one of the authorities signed up to the memorandum in the 6 months prior to offering an agency role There is nothing to stop staff moving from a directly employed role in one authority to a role in another, this only applies to permanent staff joining agencies Workers who have been made redundant by their last authority are exempt from this clause

Is this clause unfair? No, it does not stop any social worker moving between authorities Most authorities in the region have vacancies and will directly employ qualified social workers with appropriate skills and knowledge Local Authorities are entitled to make their own decisions about the way they employ staff The clause does not discriminate against any individuals or groups

Summary The MoC is operational from the 1 st April 2016 Headhunting by agencies will be discouraged Agency staff references will be comprehensive and honest New agency staff will be employed within the agreed pay caps Authorities will not take on agency workers who have been permanent children’s social workers or managers in other signatory authorities within the previous six months

Question about the MoC If you have any questions about the MoC please contact – Add contact details for local lead on the MoC