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Social Work Posts and Vacancies: April 2007
09/05/2007
The latest in a series of publications which provide aggregate information on social workers employed by Scottish Local Authority Social Work Services is published today.
It contains the results of a biannual social worker census held across all Scottish local authorities on April 2, 2007.
- The number of filled social worker posts has increased by 2.0 per cent between October 2006 and April 2007, from 4,972 whole time equivalent (WTE) to 5,074 WTE. The total number of filled posts has also shown an increase of 6.0 per cent between April 2006 and April 2007
- The number of social worker vacancies has decreased by 3.5 per cent between October 2006 and April 2007, from 365 whole time equivalent (WTE) to 353 WTE. The total number of unfilled posts have also shown a decrease of 25.6 per cent between April 2006 and April 2007
- The proportion of all social worker posts that were vacant has decreased from 6.8 per cent in October 2006 to 6.5 per cent in April 2007. The proportion of all social worker posts that were vacant has also shown an overall decrease of 2.5 percentage points between April 2006 and April 2007.
- In children's services, the number of filled posts increased by 3.3 per cent from 2,221 WTE in October 2006 to 2,295 WTE in April 2007, however the number of vacancies have remained the same over the same time period (179 WTE vacancies in October 2006 and 180 in April 2007)
- The number of filled adult services posts also increased by 3.3 per cent from 1,470 WTE in October 2006 to 1,518 WTE in April 2007, and the number of vacancies decreased by 18.8 per cent over the same time period (from 102 WTE vacancies in October 2006 to 83 WTE in April 2007)
- Since April 2006, the number (WTE) of filled social worker posts in all services has increased, except generic services, with the largest percentage rise in adult services (a 8.2 per cent increase). The number of social worker vacancies has decreased in all services since April 2006, with the largest percentage fall in adult services (a 31.4 per cent decrease)
- Between October 2006 and April 2007, the number (WTE) of filled senior social worker posts has seen little change, however the number of vacant senior social worker posts has increased by 3.6 per cent. As for main grade social workers, the number (WTE) of filled posts has increased by 2.4 per cent and the number of vacant posts has decreased by 5.3 per cent
- Since April 2006, the total number (WTE) of filled senior social worker posts has increased by 3.6 per cent from 1,003 WTE to 1,038 WTE in April 2007. The number of vacant senior social worker posts has decreased by 21.4 per cent from 99 WTE to 77 WTE over the same time period. As for main grade social workers, the total number (WTE) of filled posts has increased by 6.6 per cent from 3,784 WTE in April 2006 to 4,035 WTE in April 2007. The number of vacant posts has decreased by 26.7 per cent from 375 WTE to 275 WTE over the same period
- In April 2007, 13.4 per cent of all vacant social worker posts have been vacant for over twelve months - a decrease of 6.0 percentage points since October 2006
Care should be taken when comparing staffing figures over time.
Method of Collection
Each local authority is asked to submit a biennial census form detailing the number (WTE) of filled and unfilled social worker posts there were in its social work/social services department, whether free-standing or part of a larger department. The census dates for these biannual surveys are the first Monday in April and October. Details on the number of filled and unfilled social worker posts by type of activity/ location are collected.