Statistical Bulletin SWK/S/2002/24 Staff of Scottish Local Authority Social Work Services: page 7


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Statistical Bulletin SWK/S/2002/24
Staff of Scottish Local Authority Social Work Services

7. Vacancies in Scottish Local Authority Social Work Services

7.1 Information on vacancies was collected from all local authorities in the October 2001 survey. Information was less complete for 2000, so comparisons over time should be treated with care. Vacancy figures exclude home care staff, given the different employment conditions which apply for such staff in many councils. The tables in this section therefore show the total (WTE) staff which relate to the vacancy figures supplied. These figures may differ from the total WTE figures given elsewhere in this bulletin, especially for 2000 when not all local authorities could supply complete figures for vacancies.

Staff and Vacancies in Scottish Social Work Services, 2000 and 2001
WTEs by Local Authority

Table 7

Local Authority	2000			2001
Local Authority	Relevant WTE⁽¹⁾	Vacancies	Percent Vacancies⁽²⁾	Relevant WTE⁽¹⁾	Vacancies	Percent Vacancies⁽²⁾
Aberdeen City	1116	70	5.9	1044	70	6.3
Aberdeenshire	-	-	-	983	5	0.5
Angus	584	32	5.2	604	52	7.9
Argyll & Bute	451	20	4.2	480	23	4.6
Clackmannanshire	254	9	3.4	260	9	3.3
Dumfries & Galloway	448	23	4.9	520	65	11.1
Dundee City	909	24	2.6	914	19	2.0
East Ayrshire	635	44	6.5	548	86	13.6
East Dunbartonshire	332	12	3.5	384	12	3.0
East Lothian	291	5	1.7	316	13	4.0
East Renfrewshire	305	12	3.8	315	11	3.4
Edinburgh, City of ⁽³⁾	-	-	-	2,804	315	10.1
Eileanan Siar	234	5	2.1	240	4	1.6
Falkirk	266	10	3.6	613	19	3.0
Fife	1,808	56	3.0	1,943	170	8.0
Glasgow City	4,161	396	8.7	4,164	531	11.3
Highland	1,052	122	10.4	1,085	84	7.2
Inverclyde	491	14	2.8	536	32	5.6
Midlothian	333	50	13.1	334	50	13.0
Moray	309	3	1.0	273	3	1.1
North Ayrshire	685	37	5.1	658	54	7.6
North Lanarkshire	1,415	118	7.7	1,532	205	11.8
Orkney Islands	226	12	5.0	226	12	5.0
Perth & Kinross	588	34	5.5	458	56	10.9
Renfrewshire	825	103	11.1	823	106	11.4
Scottish Borders	530	26	4.7	573	120	17.3
Shetland Islands	246	9	3.5	247	42	14.5
South Ayrshire	493	20	3.9	396	15	3.6
South Lanarkshire	1,275	117	8.4	1,319	101	7.1
Stirling	-	-	-	376	27	6.7
West Dunbartonshire	636	60	8.6	644	64	9.0
West Lothian	587	84	12.5	625	50	7.4
Scotland	21,487	1,526	*6.6*	26,234	2,425	*8.5*

Note:
(1) Total staff (WTE) on which vacancy figures are based. Excludes staff where vacancy figures were unavailable.
(2) Percent vacancies = vacancies as a percentage of the staff complement (i.e. relevant WTE + vacancies).
(3) ‘Negative vacancies’ reported by Edinburgh have been set to zero.

7.2 The City of Edinburgh reported ‘negative vacancies’, or above complement numbers of staff, in some areas. In order not to distort aggregate analyses, these have been set to zero for this bulletin.

7.3 A total of 2,425 WTE vacancies were reported in October 2001. Vacancy rates were highest in the Borders (17%), the Shetland Islands (15%) and East Ayrshire (14%). Rates were lowest in Aberdeenshire (1%), Moray (1%) and Eileanan Siar (2%). It should be noted that changes in vacancy rates from 2000 to 2001 are likely to be affected by incorporating more complete data, as well as by any underlying changes. Imputing for missing values, it is estimated that total vacancies in 2000 amounted to around 1800.

7.4 In terms of client groups, vacancies were highest for staff providing services for people with mental health problems (13%), children and offenders (both 10%) and lowest for people with learning disabilities (5%).

Staff and Vacancies in Scottish Social Work Services, 2000 and 2001
WTEs by Client Group

Table 8

Client Group	2000			2001
Client Group	Relevant WTE⁽¹⁾	Vacancies	Percent Vacancies ⁽²⁾	Relevant WTE⁽¹⁾	Vacancies	Percent Vacancies ⁽²⁾
Children	4,318	367	7.8	5,686	636	10.1
Adults (Community Care)	10,909	696	6.0	13,667	1,065	7.2
Older People ⁽³⁾	4,454	279	5.9	5,559	401	6.7
People with Physical Disabilities ⁽³⁾	426	47	9.9	425	30	6.6
People with Mental Health Problems ⁽³⁾	145	17	10.5	251	38	13.1
People with Learning Disabilities ⁽³⁾	2,592	120	4.4	3,226	165	4.9
Adults (not separately identified) ⁽⁴⁾	3,292	233	6.6	4,206	431	9.3
Offenders	1,020	94	8.4	1,241	137	9.9
Generic provision	2,811	219	7.2	2,900	291	9.1
Management/ Administration	2,429	150	5.8	2,739	296	9.8
Total	21,487	1,526	*6.6*	26,234	2,425	*8.5*

Note:
(1) Total staff (WTE) on which vacancy figures are based. Excludes staff where vacancy figures were unavailable.
(2) Percent vacancies = vacancies as a percentage of the staff complement (i.e. relevant WTE + vacancies).
(3) Staff in day centres and residential establishments providing services for specific client groups.
(4) Fieldwork staff providing services to adults and domiciliary staff.

7.5 Looking at type of activity/ location (table 9), vacancies were higher amongst residential staff providing services for children (12%) and criminal justice staff (10%), and lower amongst domiciliary staff, day care staff providing services for adults, and residential staff providing services for adults (all 6%).

Staff and Vacancies in Scottish Social Work Services, 2000 and 2001
WTEs by Type of Activity/ Location

Table 9

Type of Activity/ Location	2000			2001
Type of Activity/ Location	Relevant WTE⁽¹⁾	Vacancies	Percent Vacancies ⁽²⁾	Relevant WTE⁽¹⁾	Vacancies	Percent Vacancies ⁽²⁾
Strategic/ Central Staff	2,429	150	5.8	2,739	296	9.8
Criminal Justice Staff	1,020	94	8.4	1,241	137	9.9
Fieldwork Staff	7,295	576	7.3	8,979	962	9.7
Residential Staff: Services for Children	1,600	159	9.0	2,003	266	11.7
Residential Staff: Services for Adults	4,752	272	5.4	5,891	389	6.2
Day Care Staff: Services for Children	416	29	6.5	600	49	7.6
Day Care Staff: Services for Adults	2,865	191	6.3	3,570	245	6.4
Domiciliary	1,109	55	4.7	1,211	80	6.2
Total	21,487	1,526	*6.6*	26,234	2,425	*8.5*

7.5 The vacancy figures can also be expressed in terms of staff groups, with staff classified by function.

7.6 Table 10 shows that vacancies were relatively high amongst social workers and other qualified fieldwork staff (both 11%) and support staff (10%). Support staff accounted for almost one third of all vacancies reported and social workers accounted for a further 20%.

Staff and Vacancies in Scottish Social Work Services, 2000 and 2001
WTEs by Staff Group

Table 10

Staff Group	2000			2001
Staff Group	Relevant WTE ⁽¹⁾	Vacancies	Percent Vacancies ⁽²⁾	Relevant WTE ⁽¹⁾	Vacancies	Percent Vacancies ⁽²⁾
Senior Managers, etc	1,274	51	3.8	1,479	119	7.4
Social Workers	3,210	268	7.7	3,873	471	10.8
Other Qualified Fieldwork Staff	1,385	139	9.1	1,568	197	11.2
Social Work Assistants	936	59	5.9	1,086	76	6.5
Home Care Staff & Managers	521	28	5.1	648	41	6.0
Other Domiciliary Staff	427	17	3.8	413	24	5.5
Day Care - Managers & Qualified Care Staff	844	56	6.2	1,447	69	4.6
Day Care - Care Staff	1,729	96	5.3	1,797	137	7.1
Residential - Managers & Qualified Care Staff	2,675	201	7.0	4,023	351	8.0
Residential - Care Staff	2,786	144	4.9	2,607	155	5.6
Support Staff	5,699	467	7.6	7,294	784	9.7
Total	21,487	1,526	*6.6*	26,234	2,425	*8.5*

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