Unions warn of redundancies despite rise in social workers

UNIONS are warning that frontline social work staff will be in the firing line for redundancies due to the financial squeeze, despite Scottish Government figures showing councils employ more social workers than ever.

According to new figures from Scotland’s chief statistician, the number of social workers increased by 35% in the past 10 years, with a census from last autumn showing Scotland had 5235 social workers. That was up 3% on the previous year.

The overall number of social service staff dropped slightly to about 41,700.

But Unison, the largest union representing Scotland’s social workers, said it expected numbers to fall further in the coming years as social care, like other core services, will not remain immune from cuts.

Recent trawls left residential care staff as the only council department ring-fenced from redundancies, due to statutory staff-client ratio requirements.

The figures and union concerns follow a report criticising the way NHS managers in Scotland spend ­billions of pounds of public money and raising concerns about the ability of health boards to manage savings.

It warns that staff with no productive value have been hired in recent years, that between 2002 and 2009 the number of hospital medical staff doubled while nursing staff increased by 76% but that hospital workloads went up by considerably less.

Almost 4000 NHS jobs in Scotland are under threat this year, including more than 1500 nursing and midwifery posts.

Unison’s Scottish convenor Mike Kirby said of the latest statistics: “While welcoming the headline figure there’s no doubt that the staff within social work and social care services will come under increasing pressure due to budget pressures.

“The recent round of budget cuts proposed by some councils and voluntary severance programmes leave residential care as the only departments ring-fenced.”

According to the new figures more posts are being filled and vacancy rates have fallen to below 6%, compared with a high of 13% in 2003.

Almost 75% of social work services staff are aged at least 40, while only 3.5% are under 25.

Children’s Minister Adam Ingram said: “These figures show a record number of frontline social workers, and that vacancies are continuing to fall.

“However, we must continue to work with the sector to ensure that it attracts and retains the right people with the right skills to provide the best possible care for Scotland’s vulnerable people, families and communities.”