London Social Work for Children regional recruitment programme

London Social Work for Children (LSWC) showcases employment and professional development opportunities across all of London’s 33 councils

The programme supports practicing and aspiring children’s social workers, providing a single access point to explore roles, career pathways, and development resources.

LSWC seeks to reduce vacancy and staff turnover rates while building a robust database of social work talent. By streamlining recruitment and maximising the visibility of opportunities, it helps lower overall advertising costs.

Through marketing and engagement activities, the programme also elevates and celebrates the children’s social work profession, showcasing the wide range of career pathways available at all stages.

SMG led on the creative, design, development, and ongoing marketing strategies for LSWC, including:

• Branding, visual identity, and website UI design to engage diverse candidates
• Developing the online platform to host roles from 33 councils, embedding automated job alerts and building a database of candidate profiles for targeted outreach
• Producing content and case studies showcasing social workers’ experiences
• Managing regional campaigns and social media
• Implementing AI to standardise job listings, improving consistency and job advertising processes for councils

LSWC platform has delivered measurable impact:

• 300,000+ website visits
• 1,500+ social work roles
• 2,000+ registered candidates
• 3,000+ social media followers

LSWC is part of LIIA's wider workforce programme. Between 2022 (when the project began) and 2024, in London there was a 6.7% increase in practicing social workers, a 4.2% reduction in staff turnover, and a 2% reduction in agency staff, exceeding pan-England averages.

LSWC has become the central hub for children’s social work recruitment and professional development in London, enabling councils to attract, retain, and support their workforce while promoting the social work profession across the capital. Find out more about the programme on the website.