DOZENS of Worcestershire's children's social workers left their jobs last year, figures show.

Unmanageable caseloads and deteriorating working conditions have contributed to thousands of child and family social workers across England quitting their jobs, according to the British Association of Social Workers.

Department for Education data for Worcestershire shows that 44 full-time employees left their jobs in the year to September, among 203 to have done so since 2017.

The figures show that 35 of those who left last year had been in their roles for fewer than five years, and 16 for under two years.

Across England, the total number of social workers rose by 2 per cent, to 32,500, in the year to September but 5,000 social workers assigned to support children and families left during that period: the highest number in five years and a rise of 16 per cent on the year before.

More than two-thirds of them had been in their role for under five years.

Tina Russell, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Children First, said: “One of our priorities has been to ensure our staff are supported and valued in their work and we aim to be an ‘employer of choice’. So I am pleased to confirm that with 96% permanency in our social worker establishment, up from 85% in April 2021, and 99% permanency in social work management, up from 96% in April 2021, that here in Worcestershire Children First we have a strong establishment of permanency.

"With a 17% turnover rate for qualified social work posts and a reducing trend on use of agency social from 40 in April 2021 down to 34 in December 2021 our evidence also shows high levels of stability.

"I am committed to supporting and valuing our workforce, recognising the difficult and challenging work they do to support children and families.”