Little is known about the implications of employing agency staff on safeguarding or the reasons why employers recruit staff from agencies who specialise in supplying staff to the sector or why social care staff work for such agencies. This paper aims to present findings from a study of agency workers in social care services in England.
Drawing on a review of the literature and policy documents, the study involved a survey of local authorities and interviews were conducted with 93 agency workers and other stakeholders. The interviews took place in three selected localities and data were analysed thematically. The survey investigated local authorities' use of agency workers, enquiring about reasons for this means of employment and any trends. The survey findings were contextualised by national data from England.
Analysis of interview and survey data revealed a variety of reasons for the employment of agency staff. In relation to safeguarding, agency workers filled staffing gaps and met needs for social care services or assessment; however, their abilities to offer continuity of care and sometimes to work within existing systems were compromised. Some employers did not provide agency workers with access to professional development opportunities or supervision.
The findings are used to develop recommendations for safeguarding practice at local level.
There is a temptation to depict agency workers as presenting safeguarding risks: this paper argues that a more rounded picture should be offered and a systems approach adopted.
