8. Mr Chambers asked the Minister of Health for his assessment of the impact of ceasing agency recruitment for social workers. (AQO 1429/22-27)

For a number of years, the Department has been working collaboratively with the trusts and other stakeholders in an effort to stabilise the social work workforce. It has been a key focus for my predecessor and for me. In early 2023, over 200 social workers were employed by recruitment agencies. They were delivering Health and Social Care services.

The majority of those agency social workers were located in children's services, which is a sector that was also experiencing high levels of vacancies.

In collaboration with the trusts, the Department decided to end agency usage for HSC social workers by the end of June 2023. Some 160 former recruitment agency social workers were then recruited into HSC posts. I repeat: 160. The five trusts have confirmed to the Department that, between September 2023 and the present day, no recruitment agency social workers have been employed in HSC services. I am pleased to report that, between July and October 2023, 204 newly qualified social workers were appointed to vacant posts, the majority of which were in services relating to children and families. That exercise was repeated in the summer of 2024, and, again, I am glad to report that a further 221 newly qualified social workers have successfully completed their social work training and taken up permanent employment in the trusts.

The net effect of the Department, stakeholders and the HSC trusts working together over the past two years has been the trusts’ complete cessation of agency social worker usage, the direct recruitment of 160 former agency social workers into HSC contracts and the recruitment of almost 430 newly qualified social workers into HSC vacancies.

We have no time for your supplementary question, Mr Chambers. We move to topical questions.