Number of social workers
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).
There were 33,100 full-time equivalent (FTE) children and family social workers (not including agency workers) in post at 30 September 2023, an increase of 4.7% or 1,500 workers from a year earlier. The corresponding headcount also rose, by 4.5% or 1,500 workers to 35,200.
The latest annual increases (both numeric and percentage) were the largest since the series started in 2017 for both FTE and headcount and both measures were now also at their highest level in the series.
In 2023, the number of social worker starters (both FTE and headcount) rose to its highest point in the series (see section ‘Starters, leavers and attrition’) and this has contributed to the number of social workers also being the highest in the series. The increase in social worker starters is likely to have been partly driven by an intake of Step-Up to Social Work graduates (opens in a new tab) (with the training programme delivering a new cohort of qualified social workers in alternate years) and also an intake of graduates from social worker apprenticeships (opens in a new tab).
With the exception of 2021 to 2022, FTE and headcount increased each year.
Age of social workers (FTE)
In 2023, children and family social workers aged 30 to 39 continued to be the largest grouping, accounting for around 3 in 10 (31%) workers.
The number of social workers rose across all age groups between 2022 and 2023. The biggest numeric rise was seen in the group aged 40 to 49 (500 workers), and the biggest percentage rise was in those aged 60 and over (9.4%).
Gender of social workers (FTE)
In 2023, nearly 9 in 10, or 87%, of children and family social workers were female. This is higher than the 76% seen in the teaching profession (in state-funded schools) and the 46% seen in professional occupations (including managers, directors and senior officials). The proportion of social workers who were female has increased each year in the series.
The figure on gender:
- In the teaching profession is from the 2022 Department for Education Statistics release ‘School Workforce in England’.
- In professional occupations (including managers, directors and senior officials) is based on figures, as defined under the 2020 Standard Occupational Classification (opens in a new tab), from the 2021 Census (opens in a new tab).
Ethnicity (headcount)
Ethnicity was known for 81% of children and family social workers in 2023. Of those, one in four (24.6%) were from ethnic minority backgrounds (excluding white minorities) and this has increased each year from 20.0% in 2017, mainly due to an increase in workers from Black ethnic groups.
The 25% of social workers from ethnic minority backgrounds (excluding white minorities) is greater than the 10% seen in the teaching profession (in state-funded schools) and the 18% seen in professional occupations (including managers, directors, and senior officials). However, it is lower than the 31% seen in the children in need population.
The figure on ethnicity:
- In the teaching profession is from the 2022 Department for Education Statistics release ‘School Workforce in England’.
- In professional occupations (including managers, directors and senior officials) is based on figures, as defined under the 2020 Standard Occupational Classification (opens in a new tab), from the 2021 Census (opens in a new tab).
- In the children in need population is from the 2023 Department for Education Statistics release ‘Children in Need’. Children in need are those assessed as needing help and protection from children's social care services as a result of risks to their development or health.
Time in service at local authority (FTE)
Time in service is a measure of the total time in years 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 they have spent in their current children and family social worker role.
The overall rise of 1,500 children and family social workers between 2022 and 2023 was driven by an increase in workers who had been in service for less than 2 years (up 900 workers) and between 5 and 10 years (up 500 workers).
Social worker role (FTE)
A case holder is a children and family social worker that manages cases, but is not in a senior manager, middle manager, first line manager or senior practitioner role. However, cases can be held by those not in case holder roles.
The number of children and family social workers rose across all roles since 2022, with the exception of senior managers which showed a slight decrease (down 30 workers or 4.1%). The largest numeric rise was seen in case holder roles (up 600 workers) but the largest percentage rise was seen in those workers who were qualified without cases (up 7.8%).
In 2023, 46.7% of social workers were reported as being in a case holder role, down from 50.8% in 2017.