We are committed to helping the region effectively manage agency spend, pay rates, and the supply of workers in Children's Social Care. Our approach ensures sustainable workforce solutions and upholds the highest standards of safer recruitment.

We are committed to helping the region effectively manage agency spend, pay rates, and the supply of workers in Children's Social Care. Our approach ensures sustainable workforce solutions and upholds the highest standards of safer recruitment.

In collaboration with local authorities, we have developed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to reduce reliance on agency workers. By managing pay rate pressures, we aim to build and retain a high-quality, stable permanent workforce to improve outcomes for children and young people across the region. Our shared regional commitment ensures that the MoU is implemented with integrity, transparency, and equity.

Directors of Children’s Services and Assistant Directors have pledged to uphold the agreement within their services, fostering accountability through open and honest discussions. Since October 2022, we have worked together to embed this approach, and in October 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) published The Statutory Guidance: Child and Family Social Workers Agency Rules.

Our MoU is fully aligned with these national standards, reinforcing our commitment to a sustainable and effective workforce for Children's Social Care in the West Midlands. In January 2025 The Directors of Children's Services attended a residential day where they signed of the regions MoU. In January 2025, Directors of Children’s Services gathered for a dedicated residential day, where they formally signed off the region’s MoU—marking a significant step forward in our collective workforce strategy.

"The implementation of our Children's MoU has significantly strengthened regional collaboration, demonstrating the power of working together to achieve shared goals.

By standing 'shoulder to shoulder', we have built greater resilience, improved our ability to manage the social work agency market, and positioned ourselves to stay ahead of national guidance and legislation. While there were initial concerns about the effectiveness of an MoU, especially after the lack of momentum with the previous agreement, two years on we have seen measurable progress. The data and clear rules in place, along with our commitment to transparency and mutual support, have shown that when councils unite regionally, we can enhance our collective impact while ensuring greater stability and sustainability across the sector. This approach not only benefits individual councils but positions us to demonstrate to central government that we are taking proactive control of our region’s needs and future."

Colleen Male DCS Network Chair and John Coleman ADCS Workforce Chair, November 2024