After oveer 8 years in permanent social work recruitment, I am having this conversation more often than I ever have. Experienced locums who have spent years on agency contracts are, for the first time, seriously thinking about going permanent.

If that is you, this is worth a read. Because the decision is a bigger one than it looks, and the landscape around it has genuinely changed.

Why the shift is happening now

For a long time, locum work was the obvious choice for a lot of experienced social workers. Higher day rates, flexibility, the freedom to move on when a placement was not working. For many, it made complete sense.

But the ground has moved.

Since the Department for Education's agency rules came into force, councils have been tightening their use of agency social workers, particularly in children's services. Statutory rate caps on agency pay came in from October 2025, narrowing the gap between what a locum earns and what a permanent social worker earns. There are now rules preventing councils from taking someone on as a locum within three months of them leaving a permanent post in the same region. And IR35 continues to bite, with most locums working through umbrella companies, unable to claim the expenses they once could.

At the same time, the wider workforce picture is stabilising. The adult social care vacancy rate has fallen to around 6.2%, its lowest in a decade, and the overseas recruitment route that propped up numbers for years has narrowed significantly. Permanent supply is tighter, and councils are competing harder to keep good permanent people.

Put simply, the financial advantage of locum work is not what it once was, and the stability of permanent work is starting to look more appealing to a lot of people. That is why the conversations are happening.

What to actually consider before you move

If you are weighing it up, here is what I would genuinely think about, based on the hundreds of these moves I have been part of.

1. The real financial picture, not just the headline rate

A locum day rate looks bigger on paper. But permanent employment comes with things that never show up in a day rate. Employer pension contributions. Paid annual leave. Sick pay. Job security. When you add those up over a year, and factor in the rate caps and IR35, the gap is often far smaller than people assume. For social workers in their late 30s and beyond, with a mortgage and a family, that security starts to matter in a way it did not in their 20s.

2. What you are actually trying to solve

Almost nobody moves purely for money. Most locums I speak to are tired of something. Starting again every few months. New team, new manager, new systems, over and over. Never seeing a case through to the end. The lack of a pension building behind them. Be honest with yourself about what is actually driving the thought. If it is stability, continuity or a sense of belonging somewhere, permanent will give you that in a way locum never will.

3. Continuity, and the work itself

One thing locums consistently tell me they miss is seeing something through. Permanent work lets you hold a case from beginning to end, build real relationships with the families or adults you support, and actually see the difference you make over time. For a lot of people, that is the part of the job they came into social work for in the first place.

4. Career progression

Locum work rarely progresses you. You can be brilliant at the job for years and stay in exactly the same role. Permanent employment opens up development, supervision, and a genuine path towards senior and management positions. If you have ambitions beyond frontline practice, permanent is almost always the route.

5. Do not move for just any role

This is the most important point, and the one people get wrong. If you are going to make the move, do not take the first permanent job that comes along. The whole reason to go permanent is stability and the right fit. So be specific. Look for the right team, the right manager, a protected caseload, and a culture that will actually support you. A permanent role in the wrong environment is worse than staying locum. A permanent role in the right one can change your whole working life.

The honest truth

Going permanent is not the right move for everyone, and I would never pretend it is. Some people genuinely thrive on the variety and flexibility of locum work, and that is completely valid.

But if you have been feeling the pull towards something more stable, if you are tired of starting again, or if the financial gap has narrowed to the point where the security now outweighs the rate, then this is a better time to make that move than any I have seen in years. The market has shifted in favour of permanent, and the right roles are out there.

The key is making the move on your terms, into the right role, with someone in your corner who actually knows the permanent market.

If you are a social worker thinking about the move from locum to permanent, that is exactly what we do at Pro Social Partners. Permanent social work recruitment is all we do, and we would be glad to have an honest conversation about what is out there and whether it is the right move for you. No pressure, just a genuine chat.