Brent Council has approved the continuation of recruitment and retention payments for social care staff, a move aimed at bolstering the workforce and reducing reliance on agency workers. The General Purposes Committee met on Monday, July 27, 2026, to discuss and unanimously endorse these measures, as detailed in the Public reports pack.
For staff in Adult Social Care, including social workers, occupational therapists, and visual impairment rehabilitation officers, the council will continue to offer a £5,000 golden hello
for new recruits and annual retention payments of £3,000. These payments, in place since November 2023, have been credited with a reduction in agency staff usage and an increase in permanent employees. Currently, 21.7% of the Adult Social Care workforce are agency workers.
Councillor Gwen Grahl, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, expressed strong support for the initiative, stating, Social care is one of the most challenging professions, and having talented and compassionate staff really does make all the difference.
The report highlighted that Brent's salaries are below those of neighbouring boroughs, making these additional payments crucial for competitiveness. Brent's maximum salary for Social Workers is £46,512, compared to Camden's £52,329 and Westminster's £57,495. While Brent offers a £5,000 'Golden Hello' and £3,000 retention payment, neighbouring boroughs like Harrow offer up to £6,000 and Camden offers £4,000 with additional payments at the end of years 3 and 4.
Similar recruitment and retention payments will also continue for social workers in Children's Early Help and Social Care roles, with the addition of occupational therapists to the eligible roles. New recruits in these positions will receive a £5,000 golden hello,
while annual retention payments will range from £2,500 to £4,500, depending on the specific role and grade. These measures have reportedly contributed to workforce stability, with agency workers making up 10.7% of the Children's Early Help and Social Care workforce. The permanent children's social workforce is now at nearly 90%, its highest in a decade, and agency costs have more than halved over the past three years.
The projected cost of continuing these payments for Adult Social Care staff is approximately £500,000 per annum, funded from ASC budgets. For Early Help and Social Care staff, the estimated annual cost is £456,000, funded from existing budgets. These incentives are viewed as an investment to increase permanent staff numbers, thereby reducing the cost pressures associated with agency staff.
Beyond financial incentives, Brent Council is implementing several strategies to improve working conditions and career progression for social care staff. These include offering key worker housing, introducing internal apprenticeships for Occupational Therapists and Social Workers (including Brent's first Community Social Work Apprenticeship Programme), and launching the Adult Social Care Training Academy. The council is also fast-tracking agency staff to permanent contracts, using rolling recruitment adverts and social media, and providing regular supervision. Creative strategies are being employed to recruit local people based on values such as kindness and compassion. Applicants are being kept informed about their application progress, and a linked grade Job Description and career progression framework are in place to facilitate staff movement. Occupational Therapists will benefit from rotations across health and social care, and a care workforce pathway is being developed for non-regulated staff.
The General Purposes Committee meeting agenda can be found here.
