2. Characteristics (in post, starters, leavers)
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FTE and headcount figures on characteristics of social workers in post, starters and leavers by:
- age
- ethnicity
- gender
- role
- time in service
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Data set details
- Theme
- Children's social care
- Publication
- Children's social work workforce
- Release
- Reporting year 2023
- Release type
- Geographic levels
- Local authority, National, Regional
- Indicators
- Social workers in post - FTE (as at 30 September)
- Percentage of social workers in post - FTE (as at 30 September)
- Social workers in post - headcount (as at 30 September)
- Filters
- Breakdown
- Time period
- 2017 to 2023
Data set preview
| time_period | time_identifier | geographic_level | country_code | country_name | region_code | region_name | old_la_code | new_la_code | la_name | breakdown_topic | breakdown | inpost_FTE | inpost_FTE_percentage | inpost_headcount | inpost_headcount_percentage | starters_FTE | starters_FTE_percentage | starters_headcount | starters_headcount_percentage | leavers_FTE | leavers_FTE_percentage | leavers_headcount | leavers_headcount_percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Reporting year | National | E92000001 | England | Total | Total | 33119.1 | 100 | 35199 | 100 | 6027.5 | 100 | 6247 | 100 | 5254.6 | 100 | 5640 | 100 | |||||
| 2023 | Reporting year | National | E92000001 | England | Age group | 20 to 29 years old | 5214.3 | 15.7 | 5309 | 15.1 | 1873.4 | 31.1 | 1900 | 30.4 | 837.6 | 15.9 | 856 | 15.2 | |||||
| 2023 | Reporting year | National | E92000001 | England | Age group | 30 to 39 years old | 10108.3 | 30.5 | 10826 | 30.8 | 1927.7 | 32 | 2009 | 32.2 | 1620.6 | 30.8 | 1737 | 30.8 | |||||
| 2023 | Reporting year | National | E92000001 | England | Age group | 40 to 49 years old | 8464.8 | 25.6 | 9023 | 25.6 | 1332.8 | 22.1 | 1387 | 22.2 | 1291.7 | 24.6 | 1381 | 24.5 | |||||
| 2023 | Reporting year | National | E92000001 | England | Age group | 50 to 59 years old | 6910.3 | 20.9 | 7273 | 20.7 | 736.7 | 12.2 | 775 | 12.4 | 974.1 | 18.5 | 1043 | 18.5 |
Variables in this data set
| Variable name | Variable description |
|---|---|
| breakdown | Breakdown |
| inpost_FTE | Social workers in post - FTE (as at 30 September) |
| inpost_FTE_percentage | Percentage of social workers in post - FTE (as at 30 September) |
| inpost_headcount | Social workers in post - headcount (as at 30 September) |
| inpost_headcount_percentage | Percentage of social workers in post - headcount (as at 30 September) |
Footnotes
- Full-time Equivalent (FTE) figures are calculated by aggregating the total number of hours that social workers are contracted to work and dividing by the standard hours for their grade. FTE figures exclude social workers for whom FTE information was missing or not known.
- Headcount is a count of all individual children and family social workers, regardless of their working pattern. Where a social worker holds more than one post within a local authority, only one post is counted (the more senior role where applicable).
- For children and family social workers, time in service is calculated as the time in years from when the social worker started in a child and family social worker role to 30 September of the reporting year or, for leavers, the date they left a child and family social worker role at the local authority. It is a measure of the total time that a social worker has been employed continuously in any children and family social worker role at their current local authority, rather than only the time in their latest role.
- Starters are social workers who joined a vacant children and family social worker post at a local authority in the year ending 30 September. The following are included in the social worker starters figures: those joining from the same local authority, but from a non-children and family social work position; those joining from a children and family social work position in another local authority in England; and those joining from an agency children and family social work position. The following are not included in the social worker starters figures: those moving or being promoted from one children and family social work position to another within the same local authority; those returning from maternity or sick leave; and those who started and left in the same reporting year.
- Leavers are social workers who left a children and family social worker post at a local authority in the year ending 30 September. The following are included in the social worker leavers figures: those who are staying at the same local authority, but are moving to a non-children and family social work position; those moving to a children and family social work position in a different local authority in England; those moving to an agency children and family social work position; those who have begun a career break; those seconded out of an organisation; and those leaving the profession altogether. The following are not included in the social worker leavers figures: those moving or being promoted from one children and family social work position to another within the same local authority; those who have started maternity or sick leave; and those who started and left in the same reporting year.
- Age of the child and family social worker at 30 September of the reporting year.
- Age of starter at 30 September of the reporting year.
- Age of leaver on the date they left their post at the local authority.
- White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
- Black or Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African or any other black background.
- Asian or Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese or any other Asian background.
- Mixed comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
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