Reporting year 2025

Children's social work workforce

Data guidance

Published 19 March 2026

Description

This guidance describes the data included in the underlying data files of the 2025 official statistics release ‘Children's social work workforce’.

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

The methodology page should be referenced alongside this data.

Coverage

This annual release contains statistics on child and family social workers, including agency social workers, employed in local authorities in England. Each reporting year covers the period 1 October to 30 September.

The information is based on data collected by the Department for Education from all local authorities in England in the annual Children’s social work workforce census (opens in new tab). 

The underlying data files include national, regional and local authority level information for the years 2017 to 2025.

File formats and conventions

Symbology

The following symbols are used in the underlying data files as follows: 

     z        Data is not applicable

     x        Data is unavailable for unknown or other reasons    

     c        Suppressed to protect confidential information

     low   Rounds to 0, but is not 0

     u        low reliability

Rounding

Figures for full-time equivalents (FTEs), rates, percentages, caseload and working days have been rounded to one decimal place. Therefore component parts may not sum to totals if applicable.

Headcounts and cases held are reported to the nearest whole number.

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.

1. Indicators (in post, starters, leavers, agency workers, vacancies, caseload and absence)

• Filename: csww_indicators_2017_to_2025.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
• Time period: 2017 to 2025
• Content:
  FTE and headcount figures on: social workers in post; starters; leavers; agency social workers in post; vacancies; caseload; and sickness absence.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
absence_rate_fte	Sickness absence rate - FTE (year to 30 September)
agency_cover_fte	Agency workers in post covering vacancies - FTE (as at 30 September)
agency_cover_rate_fte	Agency workers covering vacancies rate - FTE (as at 30 September)
agency_fte	Agency workers in post - FTE (as at 30 September)
agency_headcount	Agency workers in post - headcount (as at 30 September)
agency_rate_fte	Agency worker rate - FTE (as at 30 September)
agency_rate_headcount	Agency worker rate - headcount (as at 30 September)
case_holders_fte	Social and agency workers holding cases - FTE (as at 30 September)
caseload_fte	Average caseload - per FTE (as at 30 September)
cases	Cases held (as at 30 September)
inpost_fte	Social workers in post - FTE (as at 30 September)
inpost_headcount	Social workers in post - headcount (as at 30 September)
leavers_fte	Social worker leavers - FTE (year to 30 September)
leavers_headcount	Social worker leavers - headcount (year to 30 September)
starters_fte	Social worker starters - FTE (year to 30 September)
starters_headcount	Social worker starters - headcount (year to 30 September)
turnover_rate_fte	Turnover rate - FTE (year to 30 September)
turnover_rate_headcount	Turnover rate - headcount (year to 30 September)
vacancy_agency_cover_rate_fte	Vacancy agency worker cover rate - FTE (as at 30 September)
vacancy_fte	Vacancies - FTE (as at 30 September)
vacancy_rate_fte	Vacancy rate - FTE (as at 30 September)
working_days_lost_fte	Working days missed due to sickness absence (year to 30 September)

Footnotes

1. Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster were unable to provide data for 2025 following a cyberattack which had a significant impact on their information management systems. Therefore, figures from the previous year were used as best estimates for these local authorities to calculate 2025 totals for England, London, and Inner London.

2. Characteristics (in post, starters, leavers)

• Filename: csww_characteristics_inpost_starters_leavers_2017_to_2025.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
• Time period: 2017 to 2025
• Content:
  FTE and headcount figures on characteristics of social workers in post, starters and leavers by: sex; age; ethnicity; role; and time in service.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

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)
leavers_FTE	Social worker leavers - FTE (year to 30 September)
leavers_FTE_percentage	Percentage of social worker leavers - FTE (year to 30 September)
leavers_headcount	Social worker leavers - headcount (year to 30 September)
leavers_headcount_percentage	Percentage of social worker leavers - headcount (year to 30 September)
starters_FTE	Social worker starters - FTE (year to 30 September)
starters_FTE_percentage	Percentage of social worker starters - FTE (year to 30 September)
starters_headcount	Social worker starters - headcount (year to 30 September)
starters_headcount_percentage	Percentage of social worker starters - headcount (year to 30 September)

Footnotes

1. Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster were unable to provide data for 2025 following a cyberattack which had a significant impact on their information management systems. Therefore, figures from the previous year were used as best estimates for these local authorities to calculate 2025 totals for England, London, and Inner London.
2. Age of the child and family social worker at 30 September of the reporting year.
3. Age of social worker starter at 30 September of the reporting year.
4. Age of social worker leaver on the date they left their post at the local authority.
5. White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
6. Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
7. Asian / Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, or any other Asian background.
8. Black / African / Caribbean / Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African, or any other black background.

3. Role by characteristics (in post)

• Filename: csww_role_by_characteristics_inpost_2019_to_2025.csv
• Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
• Time period: 2019 to 2025
• Content:
  FTE and headcount figures on the role of social workers in post by: sex; age; and ethnicity.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

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)
role	Organisation role

Footnotes

1. Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster were unable to provide data for 2025 following a cyberattack which had a significant impact on their information management systems. Therefore, figures from the previous year were used as best estimates for these local authorities to calculate 2025 totals for England, London, and Inner London.
2. For certain years, there can be small differences in the totals for different characteristics. This is due to social workers with unknown characteristics being excluded from the respective totals.
3. Age of the child and family social worker at 30 September of the reporting year.
4. White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
5. Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
6. Asian / Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, or any other Asian background.
7. Black / African / Caribbean / Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African, or any other black background.

4. Cross-characteristics (in post) - national only

• Filename: csww_cross_characteristics_inpost_2017_to_2025.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2017 to 2025
• Content:
  FTE and headcount figures on the cross-characteristics of social workers in post by: sex; age; and ethnicity.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
age_group	Age group
ethnicity_major	Ethnicity major
inpost_fte	Social workers in post - FTE (as at 30 September)
inpost_headcount	Social workers in post - headcount (as at 30 September)
sex	Sex

Footnotes

1. Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster were unable to provide data for 2025 following a cyberattack which had a significant impact on their information management systems. Therefore, figures from the previous year were used as best estimates for these local authorities to calculate 2025 totals for England, London, and Inner London.
2. Age of the child and family social worker at 30 September of the reporting year.
3. White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
4. Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
5. Asian / Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, or any other Asian background.
6. Black / African / Caribbean / Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African, or any other black background.

5. Attrition (leavers) - national only

• Filename: csww_attrition_2017_to_2025.csv
• Geographic levels: National
• Time period: 2017 to 2025
• Content:
  These are official statistics in development. FTE figures on the number and rate of social worker leavers due to: total attrition; full attrition; agency attrition; and movers between local authorities.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
agency_attrition_fte	Agency attrition - FTE (year to 30 September)
agency_attrition_rate_fte	Agency attrition rate - FTE (year to 30 September)
full_attrition_fte	Full attrition - FTE (year to 30 September)
full_attrition_rate_fte	Full attrition rate - FTE (year to 30 September)
inpost_fte	Social workers in post - FTE (as at 30 September)
leavers_fte	Social worker leavers - FTE (year to 30 September)
movers_las_fte	Movers between local authorities - FTE (year to 30 September)
movers_las_rate_fte	Movers between local authorities rate - FTE (year to 30 September)
total_attrition_fte	Total attrition - FTE (year to 30 September)
total_attrition_rate_fte	Total attrition rate - FTE (year to 30 September)
turnover_rate_fte	Turnover rate - FTE (year to 30 September)

6. Base salary full-time (in post) - national and regional only

• Filename: csww_full_time_base_salary_2025.csv
• Geographic levels: National; Regional
• Time period: 2025
• Content:
  These are official statistics in development. Base salary information of full-time social workers in post by role, sex, ethnicity, age and time in service.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
age_group	Age group
ethnicity_major	Ethnicity major
inpost_full_time_base_salary_mean	Mean base salary of full time social workers in post (as at 30 September)
inpost_full_time_base_salary_median	Median base salary of full time social workers in post (as at 30 September)
inpost_full_time_base_salary_recorded	Number of full time social workers in post with base salary recorded (as at 30 September)
role	Organisation role
sex	Sex
time_in_service	Time in service

Footnotes

1. Age of the child and family social worker at 30 September of the reporting year.
2. White comprises white British, white Irish, or any other white background.
3. Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups comprises white and black Caribbean, white and black African, white and Asian, or any other mixed background.
4. Asian / Asian British comprises Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, or any other Asian background.
5. Black / African / Caribbean / Black British comprises black Caribbean, black African, or any other black background.

7. Allowances and additional payments - national and regional only

• Filename: csww_allowances_and_additional_payments_2025.csv
• Geographic levels: National; Regional
• Time period: 2025
• Content:
  These are official statistics in development. Figures on the eligibility of social workers in post for eight types of local authority allowances and additional payments.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name	Variable description
allowances_and_additional_payments	Allowances and additional payments
eligibility	Eligibility
number_local_authorities	Number of local authorities
percentage_local_authorities	Percentage of local authorities