New report provides latest data on social workers registered in Wales
The average social worker is 46 years old, white and female. More than a third have some Welsh language ability. The majority work for a local authority with a social work case load and have been in post for less than five years – this according to a new report about social workers.
The Social Workers on the Register in Wales 2017 looks in detail at the 5,965 social workers who were on the Register of Social Care Workers on 1 June 2017. It includes final year social work students who passed, registered and gained employment in Wales.
The report includes statistics such as:
- Where the social workers are based
- The groups of people they work with
- The average age and sex of the social workers
- The qualifications they hold
- Whether or not they speak Welsh.
According to the report:
- 5,965 social workers were registered – a decrease increase of 98 from last year
- 480 social workers left the Register of Social Care Workers and 382 joined in the last year
- 4,803 women and 1,162 men were registered
- The average age was 46 years. For newly qualified social workers the average age is 33
- All social workers hold a relevant qualification
- 31.8% of social workers have been in their job for more than five years
- 36.7% of social workers spoke some Welsh or were fluent – an increase of 1.3%.
The Social Workers on the Register in Wales 2017 is one of four annual reports produced by Social Care Wales that provide an overview of the people who are on the Register.
The reports aim to give the social care sector a better understanding of the workforce. The other reports look at domiciliary care managers, residential child care managers and adult care home managers.
