Ending Agency
Social Workers
Ending Agency
Social Workers
Bold ambition
When the Department of Health (NI) set out to eliminate agency social workers from all five HSC Trusts, many believed it couldn’t be done. Rising costs, broken continuity of care, and outdated recruitment systems had created deep structural challenges — especially in critical areas like Children’s Services.
But the ambition was bold: end all agency usage and rebuild the workforce from within by onboarding newly qualified social workers into permanent roles at scale — and at speed.
The solution
Healthdaq, with a proven track record delivering the COVID-era HSC Workforce Appeal for the Department of Health (NI) and the five Northern Ireland NHS Trusts and Public Health Agency, was selected to help design and execute a new model of workforce transformation: one built on modular, subscription-based recruitment services, purpose-built for healthcare.
This wasn’t just about filling vacancies — it was about rebuilding trust in public sector recruitment. Working across five Trusts and multiple universities, Healthdaq delivered a centralised talent gateway, digitised document collation, and supported compliance, live candidate support, and real-time onboarding infrastructure.
The results speak volumes—not just in numbers, but in legacy. Trusts that once relied heavily on agency social workers now lead the UK in direct-hire stability. More importantly, relationships critical to effective social work have been restored, grounded in continuity, trust, and public service values..
Download the full success story and see how they did it.
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