Attrition rate
The attrition rate is calculated as the number of FTE children’s social workers leaving a children’s social work role during the year ending 30 September and then not observed in a local authority children’s social work role on 30 September of the reporting year, divided by the number of FTE social workers in post at 30 September.
In the year ending 30 September 2021, there were 5,000 FTE leavers from a children's social work role, and 4,300 FTE leavers in the year ending 30 September 2020.
Attrition
Nearly three quarters of leavers (73%) in 2021 left local authority children's social work and moved into agency social work (attrition into agency), or stopped working in children's services in local authorities (full attrition). This is compared to 69% in 2020.
The overall attrition rate of social workers leaving local authority employed children's social work for the year ending 30 September 2021 was 11.2%, made up from a full attrition rate of 8.6% and an attrition into agency rate of 2.6%.
The attrition rate of social workers leaving local authority employed children's social work for 2020 was lower at 9.3%, with a full attrition rate of 7.2% and an attrition into agency rate of 2.2%.
It is possible some social workers in the full attrition out of children's services in local authorities group may have moved into private, independent, or voluntary children’s social work, may have moved into adult social care, or be on a career break.
It is also possible that this is an over-estimate of the number of social workers leaving local authority employed children's social work, as some social workers may start their new role after 1 October 2021, so will not be observed in this reporting year of data. We cannot yet quantify the scale of this.
Movers
The remaining leavers (27%) moved between local authority children’s social work roles in the year ending 30 September 2021, compared to 31% in 2020.