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11:00am - 12:00pm, 2 December 2025
(Europe/London)
(Europe/London)
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Event Details
Social Work Sector
Tuesday 2nd December
11:00am-12:00pm
Webinar
Key Takeaways
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Greater understanding of the application of the candidate eligibility requirements in social work
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Deeper understanding of the impact they have on service providers, frameworks and suppliers
Meeting Agenda
Recruitment in the social sector has come under scrutiny by local authorities with a focus on compliance and candidate eligibility. But the contours of this market are far from even and recruiters are keen for guidance as to how they can best navigate the next few months successfully.
The new agency social work rules are now in effect, with full compliance required by 1st October 2025. Since 31st October 2024, all new placements have already been subject to the new rules.
Our panel will provide context to the changes that have been put in place this year by the DfE, and a broader understanding of what they mean for locum and perm recruitment – and the balance between the two. They will also present the challenges DCSs face when mapping out their workforce strategy, and how recruiters can feed into this process to add maximum value.
Join us as we explore how these reforms are shaping the sector one year on; what’s working, what’s not, and what unintended consequences may be emerging for local authorities and social workers alike.
Welcome & Introduction
Chris Griffin Managing Director, Team Support Healthcare
Jamie Trick Owner/Director, Sheldon Phillips
APSCo Update
Samantha Hurley Managing Director, APSCo UK
Panel Discussion
Helen Lock, Managing Director, Commercial Services Group
Liz Folarin, Associate Director of Social Work, Social Care & Carers, NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
Nick Mather, Executive Director, Diverse Recruitment Group
Speakers
Nick Mather
Social Personnel, Executive Director
Nick has been supporting the staffing challenge within the Social Work sector for over 20 years. Having grown and represented three large volume recruitment agencies over this time, Nick has developed a wide range of solutions providing flexible staffing options for local authorities. Temp, Perm, Fixed Term as well as master and neutral vendor solutions. Placing the needs of candidates and clients at the heart of all solutions, Nick has a deep understanding of the issues and challenges faced by the sector in ensuring we have a skilled and motivated workforce to meet the growing needs and pressure placed on the services they provide.
Liz Folarin
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust, Associate Director of Social Work, Social Care & Carers
Elizabeth is the Associate Director of Social Work, Social and Carers for an NHS Trust, overseeing workforce development and transformation across NHS and local authority partnerships. With extensive experience in social work leadership and recruitment, she has focused on creating clear pathways to bring more social workers into the NHS sector by redesigning roles and demonstrating the profession’s value in health settings.
Elizabeth is committed to improving the visibility and impact of social work within integrated care, ensuring practitioners are supported, well-trained, and equipped to deliver high-quality, person-centred support.
Helen Lock
Commercial Services Group, Managing Director
Instrumental in setting up the Commercial Services Group recruitment division in 2004, and has led the delivery of the managed service (Master Vendor) to Kent County Council for over 10 years.
Today, she is responsible for the strategic leadership of the recruitment division, including managed services, specialist recruitment and the development of collaborative working that provides in-sourcing and income generation opportunities to the public sector.
Helen has a passion for building sustainable businesses, built on a strong heritage and solid reputation that have Social Value at their core. She is particularly proud to be a part of a new breed of public-public joint ventures with, the first of its kind in the contingent agency staffing sector.