Looking to elevate your social work career?
We specialize in connecting passionate social workers with permanent roles that offer stability, growth, and fulfilment. Discover how our personalized approach and extensive network can assist you in finding a role that not only supports your career ambitions but also makes a significant impact on the community. Search Social Work Jobs here.
Agency or Permanent Social Work: What’s the Difference?
While temporary social work through our agency offers flexibility, variety, and potentially higher pay, more and more professionals are transitioning to permanent roles due to improvements within local authority teams. Permanent positions often provide long-term benefits such as stability, career progression, and additional perks that make these roles a compelling choice for many social workers.
If you prioritise flexibility, independence, and immediate financial rewards, agency work could be your best fit.
What our Social Workers say
Here are some testimonials from some of our active social workers:
Emma Walker, Manchester – Senior Child Protection Social Worker, Manchester
"Portman Recruitment really listened to my career goals and found me a permanent role that fit perfectly with my passion for child protection. The team was incredibly supportive throughout the entire process. I couldn’t be happier!"James Cooper, London – Adult Services Social Worker, London
"As an agency social worker, I was used to short-term contracts, but Portman helped me secure a permanent role with excellent benefits. They made the transition easy and gave me the stability I was looking for."Claire Davies, Liverpool - Childrens and Families Social Worker, Liverpool "Portman Recruitment goes above and beyond. Not only did they match me with a great social work job, but their guidance and career advice helped me grow professionally. I highly recommend them!"
Spending time working through Portman allows for a much more varied experience and opportunities to take on new challenges.
Why Should I Consider Moving Back to a Permanent Role?
While agency work offers flexibility and potentially higher pay, transitioning back to a permanent role can bring several long-term benefits such as stability, consistent employment, access to benefits like pensions and holiday pay, and opportunities for professional growth within an organisation. Permanent roles also provide a stronger sense of community, allowing social workers to build long-term relationships with colleagues and service users, focusing on career progression in a supportive environment.
Common Concerns
One of the biggest concerns when moving from agency work to a permanent role is salary.
Agency workers often enjoy higher hourly rates, but permanent roles offer a stable income, predictable salary growth, and benefits like pensions, holiday pay, and sick leave. While you may see an initial drop in take-home pay, the overall financial package in permanent roles can provide more long-term security.
A common worry is the potential for a heavier workload in permanent positions.
However, with the right support, permanent roles often provide more consistency and team collaboration. Permanent workers can rely on regular supervision, access to internal resources, and less abrupt changes in responsibilities, making it easier to manage your workload.
We encourage candidates to consider the wider benefits and longer term opportunities
Permanent roles frequently offer structured career paths, with clear opportunities for promotion, ongoing training, and professional development. In contrast, agency workers may have less access to these resources or long-term advancement within a single organization. With permanent employment, you can benefit from continuous learning and leadership opportunities.
Case Study: Sarah’s Transition to a Permanent Role
Sarah, an agency social worker in Manchester, was drawn to the variety and flexibility of agency work. However, after two years, she desired more stability and professional development. Portman Recruitment helped her secure a permanent role in child protection, where she now enjoys steady career progression, benefits, and a strong support network within her team.
Agency Work Growth
Over the past year, the number of social workers employed through agencies has increased significantly, particularly in children’s services. For instance, there has been a 13% rise in agency staff in this sector, highlighting the growing reliance on temporary workers to fill the gaps left by permanent staff shortages. This trend is partly driven by the flexibility and higher immediate pay that agency roles can offer
Permanent Roles and Vacancies
Conversely, the number of social workers in permanent roles has seen a decline.
In children’s services, for example, full-time equivalent (FTE) posts dropped by 900 between 2021 and 2022. The overall vacancy rate across social work is rising, with 67,900 vacant posts—a 21% increase year-over-year . This shows that local authorities are struggling to fill permanent positions, which is pushing more professionals toward agency work.
For more information and stats, consider visiting: Social Work Today – Workforce Statistics
Regional Differences
Some areas face more acute shortages, particularly in urban regions, where caseloads are higher and social workers are more likely to switch to agency roles due to burnout and unmanageable workloads. However, permanent positions offer career stability, benefits, and opportunities for long-term career progression that may not be available in agency roles.
Regional demand for social workers in the UK can vary significantly based on local circumstances, creating distinct trends in urban and rural areas:
Urban Areas
In large cities like London, Manchester, and Birmingham, the demand for agency social workers is particularly high. This is driven by several factors:
High caseloads:
Urban areas often face a greater number of cases due to larger populations, leading to more pressure on local authority teams. This causes many permanent workers to experience burnout, making agency work—where they can choose shorter contracts and avoid long-term commitments—more attractive.
Higher turnover:
Due to the intensity of social work in urban environments, there is higher staff turnover, increasing the reliance on agency workers to fill gaps. In fact, a significant portion of children’s services social workers in these areas are now hired through agencies .
Short-term needs:
Local authorities often turn to agencies to meet immediate staffing shortages or to handle peaks in demand, making agency roles more prevalent in cities.
Rural and Underserved Regions
On the other hand, permanent social work positions are often more stable and in demand in rural or underserved regions.
Key factors include:
Lower population density:
In rural areas, there may be fewer cases, which can lead to more manageable workloads and make permanent roles more appealing. Social workers in these regions are more likely to stay in their roles longer, as the work-life balance tends to be better than in high-pressure urban environments.
Community engagement:
Permanent roles in these areas often provide deeper community connections, as social workers can build long-term relationships with families and other local services. This can be more fulfilling for professionals seeking stability and continuity in their work.
Hard-to-fill vacancies:
Rural areas sometimes struggle to attract social workers, leading to more incentives for permanent staff such as relocation packages, professional development opportunities, and guaranteed benefits.
By understanding these regional dynamics, you can tailor your content to highlight how agency roles offer flexibility and variety, especially in urban settings, while permanent positions in rural regions offer stability and a supportive community environment. For those weighing their options, the choice may come down to lifestyle preferences and career goals.