Reporting year 2022

Children's social work workforce

Data guidance

Published

Description

This document describes the data included in the underlying data files of the 2022 official statistics release ‘Children's social work workforce’.

This data is released under the terms of the Open Government Licence (opens in a new tab) and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data (opens in a new tab)

The methodology document should be referenced alongside this data.

Coverage

This release provides statistics on children and family social workers and agency social workers employed in local authorities in England.

The information is based on data collected by the department from local authorities, in the annual Children’s social work workforce census (opens in a new tab)

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 nameVariable description
absence_rate_fte_%Sickness absence rate throughout year (FTE)
agency_cover_fteNumber of agency workers in post at 30 September covering vacancies (FTE)
agency_cover_rate_fte_%Agency cover rate (FTE)
agency_fteNumber of agency workers in post at 30 September (FTE)
agency_headcountNumber 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_fteNumber of caseholders (FTE)
caseload_fteAverage caseload (per FTE)
casesNumber of cases held
leaver_fteNumber of children and family social workers leaving during year (FTE)
leaver_headcountNumber of children and family social workers leaving during year (Headcount)
social_worker_fteNumber of children and family social workers in post at 30 September (FTE)
social_worker_headcountNumber 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_fteVacancies at 30 September (FTE)
vacancy_rate_fte_%Vacancy rate (FTE)
working_days_lost_fteNumber of days of work missed due to sickness absence during year (FTE)
Footnotes
  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.

Workforce characteristics

Filename
csww_workforce_characteristics_2017_to_2022.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2017 to 2022
Content

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 nameVariable description
characteristic_typeCharacteristic type
countCount type
numberNumber of children and family social workers in post at 30 September
percentagePercentage of children and family social workers in post at 30 September
Footnotes
  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. Age of the child and family social worker at 30 September of the reporting year.
  5. White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
  6. Mixed comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
  7. 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.
  8. Black or Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African or any other black background.
  9. 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.

Starters and leavers characteristics

Filename
csww_starters_leavers_characteristics_2017_to_2022.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2017 to 2022
Content

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 nameVariable description
characteristic_typeCharacteristic type
countCount type
leavers_percentagePercentage of children and family social workers leaving during year
number_of_leaversNumber of children and family social workers leaving during year
number_of_startersNumber of children and family social workers starting during year
starters_percentagePercentage of children and family social workers starting during year
Footnotes
  1. 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.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Age of starter at 30 September of the reporting year.
  6. Age of leaver on the date they left their post at the local authority.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.

Workforce role by ethnicity

Filename
csww_workforce_role_by_ethnicity_2019_to_2022.csv
Geographic levels
Local authority; National; Regional
Time period
2019 to 2022
Content

Children and family social workers by role and ethnicity.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
asianNumber of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Asian (Headcount)
asian_%Percentage of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Asian (Headcount)
blackNumber 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_headcountNumber of children and family social workers in post at 30 September with known ethnicity (Headcount)
mixedNumber of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Mixed (Headcount)
mixed_%Percentage of children and family social workers whose ethnicity was Mixed (Headcount)
OrgRoleOrganisation role
otherNumber of children and family social workers with other ethnicity (Headcount)
other_%Percentage of children and family social workers with other ethnicity (Headcount)
whiteNumber 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
  1. 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).
  2. White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
  3. Mixed comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
  4. 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.
  5. Black or Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African or any other black background.

National headline measures

Filename
csww_national_headline_measures_2022.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2022
Content

Underlying data for headline boxes in statistical commentary.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
absence_rate_fte_%Sickness absence rate (FTE)
agency_fteAgency workers (FTE)
agency_worker_rate_fte_%Agency worker rate (FTE)
caseload_fteAverage caseload (per FTE)
leaver_fteChildren and family social workers leaving during year (FTE)
social_worker_fteChildren and family social workers in post (FTE)
turnover_rate_fte_%Turnover rate (FTE)
vacancy_fteVacancies (FTE)
vacancy_rate_fte_%Vacancy rate (FTE)