Move from agency social work to working for the council

Some find it useful for gaining new experiences, and others work for an agency as a way of re-joining the profession after some time away to re-build their confidence.

This was the case for Hilary Bagley, one of our Strategic Managers in our Children and Families team, who took the step from agency to our council in 2023.

Hilary's Story - video transcript (PDF) [123KB]

Stability for you

If you are an agency social worker and curious about a permanent role, it is worth taking a fresh look at what Durham has to offer. Of course, a permanent contract offers greater job security, and fantastic benefits such as occupational sick pay, and enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave - but what about all the other advantages that make it that little bit more attractive?

Stability for children and families

A permanent role in a dedicated team makes it easier to build strong, long-term relationships with children and families, compared to agency work - which is often associated with short-term contracts and instability.

Benefit from longer-term relationships

A positive team culture is hugely important in social work, and in Durham we work hard to ensure all our practitioners feel well supported and valued. In a permanent role our social workers have the added benefit of developing longer-term working relationships with their colleagues; building strong bonds which can support their emotional wellbeing at work.

Unlock your Continuous Professional Development

Working on a permanent basis unlocks a new world of opportunities for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) that you may not get so readily with an agency. At Durham we are constantly investing in our workforce, which provides many opportunities for you to develop your skills and knowledge and advance your career with us, following clear progression routes.

We are flexible too!

Flexibility isn't just for agency social workers! Many councils now offer flexible working arrangements, and Durham is no exception, in fact, we actively encourage it! Many of our social workers work from home under our Hybrid Working policy, and some enjoy working arrangements such as condensed hours, or a '9-day fortnight', all of which encourage that important work/life balance.

A variety of social work focus

Gaining more varied experiences is often a pulling factor for social workers joining an agency, but as County Durham is so big and we have lots of different teams within Children's Services, we can offer huge variety.  So, you could work your whole career with Durham and experience a whole array of social work focus while you are here.