Case Study: London Borough of Redbridge
By Gemma Raw
“Sanctuary Social Care’s permanent recruitment service is incredibly responsive to our very exacting needs.” - Catherine Worboyes, Head of Child Protection and Early Intervention Services, London Borough of Redbridge
"Initially, there was a reluctance internally to use an external recruitment agency for permanent staff. I admit even I was sceptical as to whether such a partnership would work. Six months in and 28 newly recruited permanent social work practitioners later and I can confidently say it was the best strategy for us. Sanctuary Social Care’s permanent recruitment service is incredibly responsive to our very exacting needs. We have a dedicated consultant who has extensive knowledge and experience of the permanent social work market and salary packages. Most importantly, they understand the type of candidate we are looking for. They go to great lengths to assess the quality of their education and training, presentation, communication and written skills. The time between identifying a suitable candidate and mobilising them averages four weeks, which is considerably quicker than it would be for us to recruit ourselves. The process is seamless and incredibly robust. Upon submission of a CV, they communicate with us to establish feedback within 48 hours and ensure that I am copied into all correspondence regarding a potential candidate. They even handle the entire compliance procedure on our behalf using their in depth compliance process. This approach has helped us establish a diverse and experienced workforce to support children and young people in Redbridge. I would absolutely recommend the service as a cost-effective way to address local authority permanent recruitment needs."
