Toll revealed of social workers in city struggling with mental health

SOCIAL WORKERS at Bradford Council’s beleaguered children’s services department were off work struggling with their mental health dozens of times last year.

Bradford Council has revealed social workers were off sick 323 times last year and almost half of those absences (47.8 per cent) were due to mental health issues.

The council said it is working to support social workers, reduce their case loads and improve working conditions.

It comes after Bradford Council was stripped of control over the department last month, because Government-appointed commissioner Steve Walker found it “lacked the capacity and capability” to make the necessary improvements.

He said there was no permanent senior leadership team in place and more than 120 social worker vacancies, which are being covered by 173 agency workers.

Three directors of the department have quit since it was rated inadequate by Ofsted in 2018 and it was heavily criticised last year after the family of Keighley toddler Star Hobson revealed they had asked social workers to intervene five times before she was murdered by her mother’s partner Savannah Brockhill.

A council spokeswoman said: “We are committed to making conditions better for our children’s social care staff.

“We are working hard to reduce caseloads. Both Ofsted and the children’s commissioner have recognised this.

“Since 2020, £31m has been invested by the council to improve services, including enhanced IT systems, so we can better support front-line social work.

“We have also launched a national recruitment campaign to attract new employees.”

She added: “Our social workers work extremely hard to support vulnerable children and families and we take their welfare very seriously.

“They do vital and tough work and we know that can take a toll on the individual.

“That is a national issue for the profession and not unique to Bradford district. We put a lot of effort into promoting awareness of wellbeing and supporting them.”

The Department for Education said a not-for-profit trust, with an independent chair and board of directors, will take charge of children’s services in Bradford and it will be set up and owned by the council but “operate at arms length”.

A local independent review into the response of social workers dealing with Star’s case, which was commissioned by the council in December, is also being conducted.

It was due to be completed last month but has been delayed.

Brockhill, 28, was jailed for life at Bradford Crown Court in December for murdering Star at her home in September 2020.

They do vital and tough work and we know that can take a toll. A Bradford Council spokeswoman.