Vision statement two: Scotland must limit the number of moves that children experience and support carers to continue to care
There must be sufficient capacity within children’s social services to recruit loving, attentive carers and support them to continue to care, and provide children and young people with stability when moves need to happen.
Staff working in children’s fieldwork services, including qualified social workers:
i. Whole Time Equivalent (rounded to nearest 10)
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4860 |
| 2023 | 4880 |
ii. Rate per 100,000 0-17 year olds
| Year | Rate |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 472.6 |
| 2023 | 481.5 |
iii. Stability index
| Year | Stability Index |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 81% |
| 2023 | 75% |
Source:
Notes
Reporting period: 1 January 2023 - 31 December 2023
Expanded Content
The Whole Time Equivalent of staff in children’s fieldwork services has not changed significantly since 2020. With fewer children in Scotland, staff numbers per 100,000 aged 0–17 have increased since 2020. The stability index across children’s fieldwork services was 5.9 percentage points lower in 2023 than in 2020.