Vision statement two: Scotland must limit the number of moves that children experience and support carers to continue to care
Where living with their family is not possible, there must be sufficient availability of carers who can provide stable loving homes for children and young people.
Secure care workforce in terms of:
i. Size of WTE workforce, rounded to the nearest 10
| Year | Number |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 370 |
| 2023 | 380 |
| 2022 | 440 |
| 2021 | 510 |
| 2020 | 360 |
| 2019 | 360 |
ii. Vacancy rate
| Year | Rate |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Not available yet |
| 2023 | 7.8% |
| 2022 | 10.0% |
| 2021 | 5.1% |
| 2020 | 2.5% |
| 2019 | 5.4% |
Notes
Last updated: From September 2025
Next Update due: From September 2026
Expanded Content
After a notable peak in 2021 the secure care WTE has decreased year on year, although the rate of decline looks to be slowing with the most recent decrease a modest 10 WTE. The WTE in Dec 2024 was at a similar level to that of 2019.One secure care setting cancelled its registration with the Care Inspectorate (Edn. Secure Service) in June 2023. However, it was a small service (in terms of its workforce) and its cancellation had little impact on the overall WTE. The decrease in 2023 came more from the remaining four services.
The vacancy rate has fluctuated between 2.5% and 10%. It was at its lowest in 2020 (2.5%) and is now 5.3 percentage points higher, albeit down on the previous year by 2.2 percentage points.