The underlying data files include national, regional and local authority level information for the years 2017 to 2022.
File formats and conventions
The following symbols are used in the underlying data files as follows:
c to protect confidentiality - secondary suppression may also be applied to figures to protect confidentiality
z data not applicable
x data not available
Where any number is shown as zero, the original figure submitted was zero.
Rounding
Figures for full-time equivalents (FTEs), rates and percentages have been rounded to one decimal place. Headcounts are reported to the nearest whole number.
Specific local authorities
Kingston upon Thames and Richmond upon Thames submit a joint census return each year and their data is reported together against Kingston upon Thames.
Northamptonshire local authority was replaced with two new unitary authorities, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire, in April 2021. A joint return was submitted for the 2021 and 2022 censuses and their data is reported together against North Northamptonshire.
Data files
All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.
Headline measures
Filename
csww_headline_measures_2017_to_2022.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2017 to 2022
Content
Data on children and family social workers in post (FTE and headcount), agency workers (FTE and headcount), leavers and turnover (FTE and headcount), vacancies (FTE), caseload (FTE) and sickness absence (FTE).
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
absence_rate_fte_%
Sickness absence rate throughout year (FTE)
agency_cover_fte
Number of agency workers in post at 30 September covering vacancies (FTE)
agency_cover_rate_fte_%
Agency cover rate (FTE)
agency_fte
Number of agency workers in post at 30 September (FTE)
agency_headcount
Number of agency workers at 30 September (Headcount)
agency_worker_rate_fte_%
Agency worker rate (FTE)
agency_worker_rate_headcount_%
Agency worker rate (Headcount)
case_holders_fte
Number of caseholders (FTE)
caseload_fte
Average caseload (per FTE)
cases
Number of cases held
leaver_fte
Number of children and family social workers leaving during year (FTE)
leaver_headcount
Number of children and family social workers leaving during year (Headcount)
social_worker_fte
Number of children and family social workers in post at 30 September (FTE)
social_worker_headcount
Number of children and family social workers in post at 30 September (Headcount)
turnover_rate_fte_%
Turnover rate (FTE)
turnover_rate_headcount_%
Turnover rate (Headcount)
vacancy_agency_cover_rate_fte_%
Vacancy agency cover rate (FTE)
vacancy_fte
Vacancies at 30 September (FTE)
vacancy_rate_fte_%
Vacancy rate (FTE)
working_days_lost_fte
Number of days of work missed due to sickness absence during year (FTE)
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 (refer to the methodology section for more information).
The FTE vacancy rate is calculated as the number of FTE vacancies at 30 September divided by the sum of the number of FTE vacancies at 30 September and the number of FTE social workers in post at 30 September.
The absence rate is calculated as the number of days missed due to sickness absence during the year divided by the number of FTE social workers in post at 30 September multiplied by 253 days (the number of working days in a non-leap year, taking account of bank holidays). The rate for a leap year is based on 254 working days.
The turnover rate is calculated as the number of FTE (or headcount) children and family social worker leavers in the year divided by the number of FTE (or headcount) children and family social workers in post at 30 September.
The agency worker rate is calculated as the number of FTE (or headcount) agency staff working as children and family social workers at 30 September divided by the sum of the number of FTE (or headcount) agency staff working as children and family social workers at 30 September and the number of FTE (or headcount) children and family social workers.
Caseload is calculated as the total number of cases held by FTE child and family social workers (including agency workers) in post at 30 September divided by the number of FTE child and family social workers (including agency workers) at 30 September that hold one or more cases.
Leavers are social workers who left a child and family social worker post at a local authority in the year ending 30 September. This includes social workers who are staying at a local authority, but moving to a non-child and family role and those continuing as children’s social workers but moving to a different local authority. Leavers also include social workers who have begun a career break, those seconded out of an organisation or those leaving the profession altogether. They do not include social workers who have started maternity or sick leave, or moved from one children’s social work position to another children’s social work position within a local authority.
Characteristics of children and family social workers in post (FTE and headcount).
Data for overall totals, age, gender, ethnicity (headcount only), time in service at local authority and organisation role.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
characteristic_type
Characteristic type
count
Count type
number
Number of children and family social workers in post at 30 September
percentage
Percentage of children and family social workers in post 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 (refer to the methodology section for more information).
For children and family social workers in post at 30 September, time in service is calculated as the time in years from when the worker started in a children and family social worker role at the local authority to 30 September of the reporting year.
Age of the child and family social worker at 30 September of the reporting year.
White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
Mixed comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
Asian or Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese or any other Asian background. Refer to the 'Definitions' section of the accompanying methodology for more information on the Asian ethnic group.
Black or Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African or any other black background.
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.
Characteristics of children and family social worker starters and leavers (FTE and headcount).
Data for overall totals, age, gender and time in service at local authority (leavers only).
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
characteristic_type
Characteristic type
count
Count type
leavers_percentage
Percentage of children and family social workers leaving during year
number_of_leavers
Number of children and family social workers leaving during year
number_of_starters
Number of children and family social workers starting during year
starters_percentage
Percentage of children and family social workers starting during year
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 (refer to the methodology section for more information).
Starters are social workers who joined a vacant child and family social worker post at a local authority in the year ending 30 September. This includes social workers who have previously worked in the same local authority, but in a non-child and family role. A move or promotion from one child and family social work position to another within the same local authority is not counted as a starter. Similarly, social workers returning from maternity or sick leave are not counted as starters.
Leavers are social workers who left a child and family social worker post at a local authority in the year ending 30 September. This includes social workers who are staying at a local authority, but moving to a non-child and family role and those continuing as children’s social workers but moving to a different local authority. Leavers also include social workers who have begun a career break, those seconded out of an organisation or those leaving the profession altogether. They do not include social workers who have started maternity or sick leave, or moved from one children’s social work position to another children’s social work position within a local authority.
Age of starter at 30 September of the reporting year.
Age of leaver on the date they left their post at the local authority.
For children and family social worker leavers, time in service is calculated as the time in years from when the worker started in a child and family social worker role at the local authority to the date they left a child and family social worker role at the local authority.
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.
Children and family social workers by role and ethnicity.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
asian
Number of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Asian (Headcount)
asian_%
Percentage of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Asian (Headcount)
black
Number of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Black (Headcount)
black_%
Percentage of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Black (Headcount)
known_headcount
Number of children and family social workers in post at 30 September with known ethnicity (Headcount)
mixed
Number of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Mixed (Headcount)
mixed_%
Percentage of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Mixed (Headcount)
OrgRole
Organisation role
other
Number of children and family social workers with other ethnicity (Headcount)
other_%
Percentage of children and family social workers with other ethnicity (Headcount)
white
Number of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was White (Headcount)
white_%
Percentage of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was White (Headcount)
Footnotes
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 (refer to the methodology section for more information).
White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
Mixed comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
Asian or Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese or any other Asian background. Refer to the 'Definitions' section of the accompanying methodology for more information on the Asian ethnic group.
Black or Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African or any other black background.