As the Autumn budget looms, messages from central government continue to include warnings that things will get worse before they get better. This and other media headlines are unlikely to make working in local government an attractive option.

And the evidence supports that councils continue to struggle with recruitment and retention. Take the recent Local Government Association (LGA) capacity survey for adult social care which reports some stark findings. In October 2023 there were 10,060 vacant full time equivalent posts at an average of 66 per council, roughly 15% of their adult social care permanent workforce missing. And the average turnover for adult social care staff prior to 1 October 2023 was 12%.