Councils get creative to fill social work staff shortages

Increasing numbers of German social workers are moving to the UK where there is a great demand for workers in the profession, in stark contrast to the lack of jobs in their own country.

Councils in the UK are offering the workers help in finding housing, free flights and higher salaries than they would expect in Germany as incentives to aid an understaffed profession, reports the Daily Telegraph.

As a result of this, about 150 German social workers are thought to have migrated in search of jobs and more favourable conditions.

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One in five social workers in Germany were laid off after the country’s economic problems caused large cuts in the welfare system.

Caroline Peglau, who has been working with children in London for six months, told the Daily Telegraph: “After I had qualified, I applied for around 30 jobs and in each case was facing competition from around 200 other applicant. I jumped at the chance when I heard of the opportunities in the UK.”