A shortage of social workers for an increasing number of designated posts has been highlighted in a new survey of the profession.
The number of specially designated social work posts had increased by 43 per cent from 1,390 in 1999 to 1,992 in 2001, the report said. "The average vacancy rate of 15.4 per cent indicates that the increase in posts may not have been matched by a similar increase in social workers available to take up the same posts."
The National Social Work Qualifications Board survey taken on September 1st, 2001, on social work posts also said the relatively large proportion of non-nationally qualified staff in the workforce at 162, or 8.9 per cent, suggested that national graduate production was unable to fill the gap.
The report underlined a lack of placement opportunities for social work students - considered crucial to resolving the shortage of social workers.
Publishing the report yesterday, the Minister of State for Health and Children, Mr Ivor Callely, said it provided a snapshot picture of social work.
"A number of important initiatives designed to improve recruitment and retention of social work personnel were currently under way - both at national and individual health board level - which will have a positive impact on the social work environment."
He said a further 54 training places were provided in 2002, bringing the total to 192. Another 28 would be provided in 2003.
The report showed that posts in child and family work had increased by 200 in two years, from 544 in 1999 to 723 in 2001.
"However, other often-cited emerging areas such as Guardian ad Litem services (where a social worker stands in as guardian, particularly in court cases) and refugee work appear to have failed to translate into specially designated social work posts," it said.
The report also pointed to high-profile areas, such as addiction services and housing welfare, as continuing to be small in respect of numbers of social work posts.
The director of the board, Ms Eilís Walsh, said the advantage of having a specially designated post was that it could receive attention and would also be permanent. If not, social workers engaged in a specific area may be at the mercy of the employing agency.
However, she stressed that social workers were working in those areas, for example, in refugee work.