Aberdeen has 98 full-time social work vacancies – levels ‘do not currently meet demand for services’
Aberdeen City Council has 98 full-time social work vacancies, including 22 in children’s services, according to the latest official figures released yesterday.
The Scottish Government statistics showed the number of unfilled posts in the service amounted to a 7.5% reduction in the workforce.
The data was released as HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) officials said the city’s child protection chiefs had made “good progress” to improve the service following a damning report last November.
Inspectors said staff levels within the children and families social work service “did not currently meet the demand for services”, however.
The figures showed the council employed 1,319 full-time social work service staff up to October last year, 22 more than the previous year.
Some 323 of staff work in children’s services.
Moray Council, which was also severely criticised for its work protecting troubled youngsters, has six vacancies in children’s services.
The authority employed 507 staff up to October 2008, down from 665 in October 2007. Only 91 staff work in children’s services.
A council spokesman said the vacancy figure was not linked to a damning HMIE report published in February and the number of staff in the children and families service had increased in recent years.
In Dundee, where child protection services were condemned by HMIE on Tuesday, the city council employed 1,457 staff up to October 2008 – an increase of 138 on the previous year.
Some 304 work in children’s services. No vacancy figures for 2008 were available.
The Liberal Democrats said SNP ministers had to ensure that councils invested all available resources in improving child protection services.
Party education spokes-woman Margaret Smith said: “Increasing the number of qualified child protection social workers is vital if children at risk are to be identified as soon as possible.”
The Conservatives said staff vacancy figures, which stand at 7% across Scotland as a whole, reinforced the need for the government to order an independent review of services.
Children’s spokeswoman Liz Smith, who called for a review in wake of the Dundee report, said: “A lack of staff increases the very real danger that those needing care will be continually let down and that can only make things worse.”
The figures showed the number of social work service staff employed throughout Scotland as a whole was at a record high.
There were 44,219 full-time staff up to October last year – a 1.7% increase on the previous year and up by 500 staff since 2003.
Children’s Minister Adam Ingram said the figures were “very encouraging” because child protection was a top priority for the Scottish Government, which provides £35million a year for social work college courses.
