Moving from agency to permanent was not initially part of the not initially part of the plan for three social workers at South Gloucestershire, when rules limiting English councils’ use of locums came into force.

But when the rules were implemented in October 2025, the option to go permanent revealed a range of opportunities that they may not otherwise have known existed.

Tom, Jariatu and Charliejo explain more.

Listen below and read the transcript.

About the Social Work Community Podcast

The Social Work Community Podcast explores the issues that matter to social work practitioners in their working lives. Senior commercial editors Kirsty Ayakwah and Sharmeen Ziauddin interview experienced and inspiring guests, including frontline social workers who speak from the heart about their jobs, the sector and society. 

It was nominated, alongside Community Care Inform’s Learn on the go podcast, in the audio content category at the 2026 Professional Publishers Association Awards.

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Councils using fewer agency social workers on back of rules - Community Care