Question reference: S6W-09489
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 30 June 2022
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Current status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 27 July 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address workforce capacity and resource challenges affecting the social work profession, which are highlighted in the report Setting the Bar for Social Work in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomed the Setting the Bar report and its findings will inform future policy decisions. Social workers make a highly skilled, unique and make a valuable contribution to supporting individuals and families across Scotland. We acknowledge the significant pressures social workers face around increasing workloads, staff shortages and the more complex needs of those they support – all of which have been exacerbated by COVID.
Social workers are primarily employed by local authorities. It is the responsibility of local authorities to plan their workforce and ensure they have the appropriate levels of staff in place to provide social services for their residents. To aid with this, the Scottish Government provided additional funding of £25m, announced as part of the 2022-23 Budget, to relieve pressure on the adult social care sector to ensure care can be delivered safely to those who need it. As agreed by COSLA Leaders, £22m of funding was distributed based on grant aided expenditure for adult social work for 2022-23. It will be used to employ additional social workers or associated social work assistants or support staff – with the clear purpose of adding to the capacity of the social work workforce to respond to the current pressures.
An additional £25m funding has been invested by the Scottish Government to support the training of social workers over the last 5 years, including post-graduate bursaries and support for practice-based learning. In addition, between 2021 – 2023, the Scottish Association of Social Work is receiving £200,000 of funding to provide a peer support service covering a range of issues, including wellbeing and resilience.
The recently published National Care Service (Scotland) Bill will establish a new National Social Work Agency, which will support the social work profession in a range of areas, including: workforce planning and social work terms and conditions.
Considering the findings of the report, the Scottish Government will continue to work with COSLA and other stakeholders to look at how social workers can be supported while they undertake their vital work across our communities.