Statistical Bulletin SWK/S/2001/23: August 2001: page 11


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Staff of Scottish Local Authority Social Work Services, 2000

ANNEX 7. Notes and Definitions

Method of Collection

7.1 Each Local Authority is asked to submit an annual census form detailing the staff employed by their Social Work/ Social Services Department, whether free-standing or part of a larger Department. The census date is the first Monday in October. Full details on terms of employment, grade, type of activity/ location, gender of staff and number of vacancies were collected in 2000.

Organisation of Social Work Services

7.2 As part of the October 2000 collection, each local authority was asked to complete an additional return on the organisation of social work services in their council. The return asked for information on departmental structures, projects which are jointly managed with other organisations, contracted out and commissioned services, and services carried out by or on behalf of other councils.

7.3 Results from this additional return indicate that there are 3 main models for social work in local authorities:

Social work services located within a discrete department – the "traditional" approach.
Social work services located within a joint department. Under this model, social work is most commonly joined with Housing or with Education.
Social work services split across departments. In this situation, Children and Families services are often located within the Education Department, whilst Community Care and Criminal Justice are located in a Community Services Department.

7.4 Whatever model is used, social work services are increasingly being provided through partnership arrangements with other organisations. Examples of such arrangements include joint working with:

Health Boards and Trusts on mental health, learning disabilities, community rehabilitation, development of community care plans, joint equipment stores and rapid response teams;
Other local authorities on out-of-hours services, registration and inspection, court services;
Education Departments on development of children service plans, off-site education facilities, alternatives to exclusion.

7.5 In some cases, joint working also involves Leisure Departments, the Police, the voluntary sector and private providers.

7.6 There is also a move to increased contracting out and commissioning of services, particularly for home care, meals on wheels and residential services. In addition, however, a number of other services are also contracted or commissioned by a small number of councils. These include:

Occupational therapy;
Respite care;
Day care services;
Advocacy services and
Information Technology services.

7.7 Finally, the return identified a variety of services which are undertaken by or on behalf of other (neighbouring) councils, including:

Services provided at special locations (e.g. hospitals);
Out of hours services;
Specialist residential and day care services;
Specialist criminal justice services (e.g. addictions, sex offenders, drug testing and treatment);
Registration and inspection.

Estimates and Revisions

7.8 Figures for 1996 and 1997 include estimates for The Scottish Borders, where actual figures were not available.

Changes Over Time

7.9 As a result of changes in the classifications used on census forms, breakdowns into different activities, locations or grades are not always strictly comparable across years. 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)

7.10 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE), where used, is an addition of i) the number of Full Time staff, and ii) the total number of hours worked by all the Part Time staff in a week, divided by the number of hours considered to be the standard Full Time week for a member of staff in each category. A reduction to a 37 hour working week is currently at various stages within councils. This reduction however only affects a proportion of council staff, as some are already working less than 37 hours per week. Therefore, it should be borne in mind that WTE figures may be calculated using different weekly hours in different categories and also between councils. This can have the effect of WTE figures being slightly higher in councils who have reduced their standard Full Time working week, but the number of Part Time hours worked remains the same.

7.11 WTE figures have been rounded independently. As a result, WTE totals in tables may not equal the sum of the categories shown.

Type of Activity/ Location

7.12 The following terms are used in the tables:

Strategic/ Central Staff	Staff with a strategic and/ or central role, including senior management, administrators and support staff;
Criminal Justice Staff	All staff providing services for offenders, regardless of location;
Fieldwork Staff	Fieldwork staff in divisional and area offices;
Residential Staff: Services for Children	Staff based in residential establishments for children (e.g. local authority children’s homes and residential nurseries);
Residential Staff: Services for Adults	Staff based in residential establishments which are not primarily for children. This covers local authority homes for older people (including sheltered housing) and residential establishments for other client groups (e.g. people with learning disabilities);
Day Centre Staff: Services for Children	Staff based in day care establishments for children. This includes local authority children’s centres, family centres, day nurseries and playgroups, together with any childminders or day carers regularly employed by the local authority;
Day Centre Staff: Services for Adults	Staff based in day care establishments which are not primarily for children. This includes staff in adult training centres, day centres for people with learning or physical disabilities, and day centres for older people;
Domiciliary Staff	Home care staff and managers, and other domiciliary staff (e.g. community alarms staff and respite staff);
Staff on Secondment	Staff who, on 2 October 2000, were on full time secondment for professional training or to the Scottish Executive, Health Boards or other organisations.

Staff Groups

7.13 The following terms are used in the tables:

Senior Managers, etc	Directors/ Heads of Service, Service Managers, Other Senior Staff, Area Managers, Team Leaders/ Managers, Planning, Commissioning and Contracting Staff, Registration/ Inspection Officers;
Social Workers	Senior Social Workers and Main Grade Social Workers;
Other Qualified Fieldwork Staff	Care Managers, Senior Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Welfare Rights Officers, Community Service Staff, Supervised Attendance Staff, Other Qualified Fieldwork Staff;
Fieldwork Assistants	Social Work Assistants and Occupational Therapy Assistants;
Home Care Staff & Managers	Home Care Managers, Assistant Home Care Managers/ Supervisors, Home Care Staff;
Other Domiciliary Staff	Sheltered Housing Wardens, Community Alarms Staff, Respite Staff;
Day Care – Managers & Qualified Care Staff	Unit Managers, Assistant Unit Managers, Other Qualified Care Staff;
Day Care – Care Staff	Care Staff
Residential – Managers & Qualified Care Staff	Unit Managers, Assistant Unit Managers, Residential Resource Workers, Other Qualified Care Staff;
Residential – Care Staff	Care Staff
Support Staff	Research & Information Officers, Human Resources Staff, Finance Staff, Ancillary Staff, Support Services;
Secondments	Full-time Secondments

Additional Analyses

7.14 Additional analyses are available on request.

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