The vast majority of UK children’s social worker vacancies (74.4%) in the year to 30 September 2023 were filled by agency staff, up from 68.8% the previous year, according to data from the Department of Education.

The 74.4% vacancy agency worker cover rate is the highest in the series and the highest since the 74.1% rate seen in 2020.

Further data from the Department showed that the number of agency social workers in post (Full Time Equivalent, FTE) stood at approximately 7,200, up 6.1% from 2022 and the highest in the series.

The data noted that agency workers have increased each year since the series started in 2017.

Meanwhile, the latest annual rise contributed to the agency worker rate increased slightly to 17.8% in 2023 (from 17.6% in 2022) and this rate is also the highest in the series. The agency worker rate, as of 30 September, is calculated as (the number of) FTE agency (children and family) social workers divided by the sum of FTE agency social workers and FTE social workers.

Four out of every five (80.1%) of agency social workers were covering vacancies in 2023, similar to 80.5% in the previous year. The latest figure represents the second highest rate in the series, with 2022 being the series peak.

Overall, there were 7,700 child and family social worker vacancies as 30 September 2023, a decrease of 2.4% (or 200 vacancies) from a year earlier. While this represents the first occasion that the number of vacancies has decreased since 2018, the latest figure still represents the second highest in the series, with 2022 being the series peak.

The corresponding vacancy rate decreased to 18.9%, from 20.0% in 2022. Again, the latest rate represents the second highest in the series, with 2022 being the series peak.

According to Children and Young People Now and the Department, high levels of agency use and an increase in new social workers joining the profession through the Step-Up to social work scheme and through social work apprenticeships has seen average caseloads decrease for the first time since 2017.

A case is defined as any person allocated to a named social worker, where the work involves child and family social work. Average caseload at 30 September is calculated as the total number of cases held by FTE social workers, including agency workers, in post divided by the number of FTE social workers, including agency workers, in post that held one or more cases.

Average caseloads dropped to 16 per FTE employee in 2023, the lowest level since 2017.

The figures come days after the closure of a Department consultation on changes to the use of agency social workers by local authorities based on the government’s response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. The consultation sought views on the draft statutory guidance for local authorities on the use of agency child and family social workers.