This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Social Worker Posts and Vacancies
12/05/2006
This publication forms part of a series of publications which provide aggregate information on social workers employed by Scottish Local Authority Social Work Services. It contains the results of a quarterly social worker census held across all Scottish local authorities on April 3, 2006.
Headline messages are:
- The number of filled social worker posts has increased slightly by 0.5 per cent between January 2006 and April 2006, from 4,762 whole time equivalent (WTE) to 4,787 WTE. The total number of filled posts has also shown an increase of 5.9 per cent between April 2005 and April 2006.
- The number of social worker vacancies has increased slightly by 6 WTE vacancies from January 2006 (498 WTE) to April 2006 (504 WTE) - an increase of 1.1 per cent.
- The proportion of all social worker posts that were vacant has remained the same at 9.5 per cent between January 2006 and April 2006.
- In children's services, the number of filled posts has increased by 1.2 per cent from 2,137 WTE in January 2006 to 2,161 WTE in April 2006, but the number of vacancies have remained the same over the same time period.
- The number of filled adult services posts has increased slightly by 0.4 per cent from 1,398 WTE in January 2006 to 1,404 WTE in April 2006, but the number of vacancies have also increased from 132 WTE to 137 WTE over the same time period.
- Between April 2005 and April 2006, the number (WTE) of filled posts in all services, except for adult services, have increased with the largest rise in generic provision of 14.4 per cent.
- Between January 2006 and April 2006, the number (WTE) of filled senior social worker posts has increased by 5.6 per cent and the number of vacant senior social worker posts have decreased by 10.1 per cent. As for main grade social workers, the number (WTE) of filled posts has decreased by 0.7 per cent and the number of vacant main grade social worker posts has increased by 4.7 per cent.
- Some of the increase in the number of filled senior social worker posts, and the fall in the number of filled main grade social worker posts, can be attributed to one local authority reclassifying some of their staff from main grade social worker to senior practitioner via an internal progression scheme.
- The total number (WTE) of filled senior social worker posts have increased by 13.8 per cent from 881 WTE in April 2005 to 1,003 WTE in April 2006. Also, the total number (WTE) of filled main grade social worker posts has increased by four per cent over the same time period.
- Eleven per cent of all vacant social worker posts have been vacant for over twelve months. This ranges from nine per cent in services for offenders to 13 per cent in the generic provision.
The following tables and charts are available:
Table 1: Summary figures on social worker staffing statistics: April 2006 Table 2: Social worker staffing position within each local authority area: April 2006 Chart 1: Social workers - October 2001 to April 2006 Chart 2: Social worker vacancies - October 2001 to April 2006 Chart 3: Social worker vacancies as percentage of all posts - October 2001 to April 2006
Notes and Definitions
Method of Collection
Each local authority is asked to submit a quarterly 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 quarterly surveys are the first Monday in January, April, July, and October. Details on the number of filled and unfilled social worker posts by type of activity/ location are collected.
Organisation of Social Work Services
Social work services can be organised in a number of different ways, and this may impact on the results reported in this publication.
Estimates and Revisions
Guidance notes have been created to reduce the discrepancies in the reported number of filled social worker posts highlighted in previous quarterly surveys. These notes can be found through the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/16135/SocWorkQuartSurvey
Previously published figures on the number of filled social worker posts from the April 2005, July 2005, October 2005 and January 2006 quarterly social worker surveys have been revised. The reason for this is results from the annual October 2005 Social Work Services survey showed that the number of filled social worker posts reported in the October 2005 quarterly social worker survey had been higher than that reported in the annual survey. As the number of filled social worker posts derived from the annual October 2005 Social Work Services survey is deemed to be the definitive number of social workers at this reference point, a revised quarterly social worker series has been produced by calculating the difference in the number of reported social workers between the annual and quarterly October 2005 surveys.
Using these differences, previously published April 2005 and July 2005 quarterly figures have been re-scaled by using a proportion of these differences. The previously published January 2006 quarterly social worker figures have been re-scaled by carrying forward the differences seen between the annual and quarterly October 2005 surveys. The number of filled social worker posts collected in the April 2006 survey have also been re-scaled so that they stay in-line with the number of filled social worker posts reported in the October 2005 annual survey.
For further information on the reasons for these revisions, and the scale of them, please refer to the Statistics Publication Notice titled "Staff of Scottish Local Authority Social Work Services, 2005" which was published on Friday 28 April 2006.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/04/27145100/0
Changes Over Time
Major changes to filled posts and vacancy figures in April 2006 include:
- City of Edinburgh Council removed Support Workers from their quarterly return, previously designated to main grade social workers and also created 20 WTE vacancies in Children's and Families department;
- Fife Council held an internal progression scheme which progressed some main grade social workers into senior social worker posts;
- North Lanarkshire included staff not previously included due to them agreeing to the definitions provided for senior and main grade social workers.
It should also be noted that different local authorities may classify staff differently, according to the way work is organised in their area. Social workers, for example, may be classified either under generic provision, or by the nature or location of their work (adult services, children's services etc.). In addition, an increase in care management services has resulted in many staff (previously designated as social workers or occupational therapists) being assigned to care manager roles.
Whole Time Equivalent (WTE)
It should be borne in mind that WTE figures may be calculated using different weekly hours across local authorities. This can have the effect of WTE figures being slightly higher in local authorities who have reduced their standard full-time working week.
The Scottish Children's Statistics Gateway provides a comprehensive summary of regular Scottish social work staffing statistics - www.scotland.gov.uk/statistics/children
Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to Sharon Meighan, Children, Young People & Social Care Analytical Services Unit, Scottish Executive Education Department, Area 1-B(S), Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ (telephone 0131 244 0311 or e-mail sharon.meighan@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
2.3 Media enquiries about the information in this Statistics Publication Notice should be addressed to Vikki Quinn on 0131 244 2960, copies of the tables are available from this number.
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