40% of social workers have known of colleagues illegitimately doing multiple jobs, finds poll

Four in ten social workers have known of other practitioners illegitimately carrying out multiple jobs at once, a Community Care poll has found.

The results follow the case of Beatrice Eduah, an agency social worker found to have fraudulently worked for three local authorities simultaneously.

Between June and November 2023, Eduah was employed full-time by Suffolk County Council’s adults' services while, for a three-week period, also worked full-time for two other authorities without the employers’ knowledge.

In August, she pleaded guilty at Cambridge Crown Court to fraud by abuse of position with intent to make a gain. She was ordered to secure work and set aside funds to repay Suffolk £17,668.53 (source: BBC), and is due to be sentenced in February 2026.

Practitioners responding to a recent Community Care poll revealed that Eduah's case was far from an isolated incident.

Of 735 respondents, 40% said they had been made aware of colleagues who had held multiple jobs illegitimately, with 9% saying this had happened 'frequently', 15% 'sometimes' and 16% 'rarely'.

Cases of colleagues working multiple jobs

In the comments of the related article, some social workers also shared experiences of such cases.

Alan recalled a colleague who received a two-year prison sentence after working full-time for a local authority while also holding a part-time NHS role.

“Both employers acknowledged there was no problem with his work but he was claiming that he worked Monday to Friday for the local authority when he wasn’t (more like Saturday – Wednesday),” he said.

Beth described a social work manager who also held a full-time locum post in addition to being a foster carer and completing a management course.

“Must have been living on a different planet in terms of hours to fit all that in,” she said.

‘The issue is pay'

However, Chima, a team manager who has encountered social workers carrying out multiple roles, said financial insecurity was at the root of the issue.

“Take-home pay, more than any other metric, defines a worker’s standard of living," she added. "This issue will persist until social workers can confidently rely on a dignified, sufficient take-home income at the end of each month.

“If the proliferation of multiple roles among social workers is to be addressed meaningfully, then the government must take decisive action to restore fairness and sustainability in the profession.”