Social work education Skills for Care analysis of Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data January 2018
This report presents information about social work education enrolments, qualifiers and the destinations of qualifiers. For context and where appropriate, comparisons are made to social workers in the adult social care sector, using workforce estimates produced by Skills for Care using the National Minimum Dataset for Social Care (NMDS-SC). Summary of key findings Enrolments 4,590 students enrolled onto social work courses in 2015/16. The number of enrolments has remained at a similar level since 2012/13. This figure had previously decreased by around 1,000 between 2010/11 and 2012/13. Postgraduate enrolments increased by 14% in 2015/16 (from 1,400 to 1,600), this figure had previously decreased year-on-year from 2,080 in 2010/11. Undergraduate enrolments remained at broadly the same level between 2012/13 and 2015/16 (at around 3,000 per year) after decreasing by around 600 between 2010/11 and 2012/13. Qualifiers 4,040 people qualified from social work courses (qualifiers) in 2015/16. The number of qualifiers fell by 9% between 2014/15 and 2015/16. This is linked to the decrease in enrolments between 2010/11 and 2012/13. Given the trend in enrolments; Skills for Care modelling forecasts that the number of qualifiers will remain broadly the same in 2016/17. Destination of leavers Skills for Care estimates that 89% of social work graduates had found employment 6 months after graduating with a qualification (69% as social workers, 16% in health and social care related roles and 4% in non-social care related roles). This was higher than 77% of graduates across all higher education. Around 69% of all 2015/16 qualifiers were employed as social workers within six months of graduation. This equates to around 2,800 newly qualified social workers in employment. This percentage has been rising steadily since 2011/12 (56%). A clear association was identified between the number of graduates in a region and the conversion rate from graduate to being employed as a social worker. Students from regions with fewer graduates were more likely to find employment as social workers. 4,590 enrolments on Social Work courses in 2015/16 Around 69% of all 2015/16 qualifiers were employed as social workers within six months of graduation. 2,800 newly qualified social workers joining the sector in 2015/16
1. Introduction The information in this report is based on Skills for Care s analysis of social work higher education data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Whilst acknowledging the importance of understanding the experiences of students and academics, this report focuses on the numbers of students starting and leaving courses. Only students who enrol on and leave from courses that lead to their eligibility to register as a social worker with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) were included. In order for workforce planning to be as effective as possible, it is necessary to understand the take-up of social work education and the demographic profile of students. Further analysis relates to factors that could influence the success rates of students in terms of course completion and academic achievement. Data from 68 higher education institutions (HEIs) of the 78 providing HCPC regulated courses were included in the HESA dataset. As such, all total figures (e.g. enrolments, leavers, graduates) in this report represent the student population of these 68 HEIs only. It is acknowledged that a number of additional social work students study at and graduate from further education colleges that were not included in the HESA dataset as well as from graduate entry schemes (see below). The destinations of social work graduates were also analysed using data from the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, collected by HESA. This includes the number and proportion of graduates who were employed as social workers six months after graduation, as well as those working in a health or care-related role at this time. Factors that affect the likelihood of a graduate finding employment are also discussed. Current social work policy context The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education continue to implement major policy initiatives in the on-going reform of social work and social work education. In 2016, the government revealed plans to establish a new regulator, Social Work England, from September 2018. Social Work England will be accountable to both the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care and will also be overseen by the Professional Standards Authority. This move is the second change in regulator in recent years as in 2012 regulation was moved from the General Social Care Council to HCPC. Graduate entry schemes Other current policy initiatives include the implementation of graduate entry schemes where graduates with non-social work degrees can train to become social workers. The number of people graduating from these schemes are not included throughout this report but top level figures are presented here to provide context. The schemes include: Frontline: A two year training programme where participants (with a minimum 2:1 degree) are placed at local authority Children's Services departments. In their first year participants work directly with children and families while completing a postgraduate diploma in social work. In their second year participants continue working in their local authorities and work towards a Masters in social work. Analysis of HESA data shows that the Frontline programme had 272 enrolments in 2015/16, which was more than double the 103 enrolments in 2014/15.
Step Up to Social Work: An intensive, 14 month programme offering placements for graduates (with a minimum 2:1 degree or a 2:2 degree plus a higher level qualification) in local authority social work departments. Trainees work towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work. Analysis of data provided by HESA showed there were 102 enrolments into the Step Up to Social Work scheme for graduates in 2015/16, a 15% increase on the 89 enrolments in 2014/15. Think Ahead: A two year fast-track scheme for graduates (with a minimum 2:1 degree) to become mental health social workers. It comprises of both academic learning and on-thejob experience. Trainees gain a postgraduate diploma in social work after their first year and a Master s degree in social work at the end of the second year. This scheme is still too new for data to be collected by HESA - there were around 100 places available on this programme for 2018. Funding On each of these graduate entry schemes; trainee s qualification fees are paid for and they also receive a bursary of around 17,000 to 19,000 depending on their location (in the second year of Frontline and Think Ahead trainees receive a newly qualified social worker salary rather than a bursary). For comparison, students on traditional undergraduate social work courses can receive bursaries of around 5,000 in their second and third years. Postgraduate students can receive a basic (non-means tested) bursary of around 3,500 that can be topped up by a (means-test) grant of 3,000 to 4,000 as well as additional allowances from a maintenance grant (means-tested), adult dependents allowance, parents learning allowance, childcare allowance and disabled students allowance. Skills for Care plans to monitor the impact of the increasing numbers of students going through graduate entry schemes and the different funding models available. Knowledge and Skills Statements A Knowledge and Skills Statement (KSS) was published in November 2014 by the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families. This set out the standards for the proposed Accredited Child and Family Practitioner. An equivalent KSS was published in March 2015 by the Chief Social Worker for Adults; setting the standards for the end of the first year in employment. The Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) is offered to all newly qualified social workers (NQSW) through their employer. It provides planned support and development as well as assessment against national standards (KSS and the Professional Capabilities Framework). The ASYE allows NQSWs to consolidate their degree learning, develop capability and strengthen their professional confidence in practice in their first employment situation. Social Work Apprenticeship A trailblazer group of employers, supported by Skills for Care, are developing a degree based Apprenticeship route to becoming a social worker. This learning programme will integrate the on-programme learning and assessment with the independent end point assessment made at the end of the Apprenticeship.
2. Enrolments in social work education This section contains Skills for Care s analysis of HESA data to describe individuals enrolling onto social worker higher education courses. Only courses that allowed graduates to register with the HCPC as social workers have been included in these tables. The latest data available presented here covers the academic year 2015/16. 3% Enrolments increased by 3% since 2014/15 There was higher ethnic diversity in social work courses (32% BAME) compared to 22% across all higher education. Enrolments: Undergraduate Postgraduate 65% 35% In 2015/16 there were around 4,590 enrolments onto courses that could lead to social worker registration. Undergraduate courses made up 65% of these enrolments and 35% were postgraduate courses. The number of enrolments remained at a similar level between 2012/13 and 2015/16 (at around 4,600). This figure had previously decreased by around 1,000 between 2010/11 and 2012/13. The number of enrolments increased by 3% in 2015/16; the only increase over the reported period. Table 1. Enrolments by course level, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student records. Values are rounded. 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Total enrolments 5,750 5,110 4,690 4,650 4,440 4,590 Undergraduate 64% 64% 65% 67% 68% 65% Postgraduate 36% 36% 35% 33% 32% 35% Chart 1 shows that undergraduate enrolments remained at broadly the same level between 2012/13 and 2015/16 (at around 3,000 per year) after decreasing by around 600 between 2010/11 and 2012/13. Chart 1. Enrolments by course level, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source. HESA student record 4,000 3,000 3,670 3,270 3,060 3,110 3,040 2,990 2,000 1,000 2,080 1,840 1,640 1,540 1,400 1,600 0 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Undergraduate Postgraduate
Postgraduate enrolments decreased year-on-year between 2010/11 and 2014/15 from 2,080 to 1,400 (down by 32%). In 2015/16 this figure increased by 14%, and is the reason behind the overall increase in enrolments in 2015/16. This increase may be related to the funding available to students which varies between academic levels. Postgraduate social work students can apply for a bursary throughout each year of their course, which includes a non-means tested basic grant paid to the student and a contribution to the tuition fees paid to the university. Additional funding is also available from a maintenance grant (means-tested), adult dependents allowance, parents learning allowance, childcare allowance and disabled students allowance. Undergraduate students are entitled to apply for a bursary in their second and third years and are not entitled to contributions towards their tuition fees or additional funding as is available to postgraduate students. Chart 2 shows the proportion of enrolments in undergraduate and postgraduate social work courses by the student s home region. Undergraduate enrolments were well dispersed geographically and the distribution was similar to population in each area. Postgraduate enrolments showed a greater variation between regions as almost a quarter of enrolments were students from the North West (23%), closely followed by London (17%), and fewer from other regions. This is trend is, at least in part, a result of greater availability of postgraduate social work courses in these regions. Chart 2. Home region of social work students enrolling in 2015/16. 10% 7% 10% 9% Eastern East Midlands 13% 17% London 6% 7% North East 14% 23% North West 13% 8% South East 12% 9% 4% 7% South West West Midlands 13% 12% Yorkshire and the Humber 3% 3% Distance learning -30% -20% -10% 0% 10% 20% 30% Undergraduate Postgraduate Chart 3 plots the proportion of enrolments in social work education against the proportion of social workers in the adult social care sector during the same period to check for areas of potential future over/under supply (acknowledging that the education data is not specific to adults).
Postgraduate Undergraduate Proportion of social worker jobs Chart 3. Comparison of enrolments to adult social worker jobs Source. HESA student record, Workforce estimates 2016/17 20% 18% 16% 14% 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% South West North East West Midlands Eastern East Midlands London South East Yorkshire & Humber North West 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20% Proportion of enrolments There were regions with a high proportion of enrolments relative to social workers, such as in the North West and Yorkshire and Humber, which would suggest some students from this region may have to leave the area to find employment as a social worker. In other regions (London and the South East) there were a relatively high proportion of jobs compared to enrolments suggesting employers may have to find social workers from other regions to meet demand. Chart 4 below compares the proportion of enrolments by age group and course level between all enrolments and those in social work education. Students enrolling on undergraduate social worker courses were older than the general undergraduate population, as 32% of social work undergraduates were aged 30 and over compared to 15% on all higher education courses. Students enrolling on postgraduate social work courses were also older than their counterparts on other courses, although the differences were not as large as for undergraduates. 48% of social work postgraduates were aged 30 and over, with 42% within all higher education courses. The average age of an undergraduate student in social work was 26 years old, whereas the average age of students enrolling in postgraduate social work courses was 32 years old. Chart 4. Enrolments by age group and degree level Source. HESA student record Social worker 42% 13% 14% 32% Higher education 53% 25% 7% 15% Social worker 28% 24% 48% Higher education 33% 25% 42% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 20 and under 21-24 25-29 30 and over
The majority of people enrolling on social work courses in 2015/16 were female (86%). This proportion has been steadily increasing over time from 84% in 2010/11. The proportion of females on social work courses was much higher than the equivalent proportion from higher education generally (57%), although it was in line with the gender distribution across the adult social care workforce in which 80% of social workers were female. The ethnicity distribution of students enrolled on social work courses in 2015/16 was 68% White and 32% Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME). This ethnic diversity has increased over time as the proportion of BAME students has increased from 26% in 2010/11. This differs slightly from the adult social worker workforce where 79% of workers are White and suggests the social work workforce is likely to become more diverse when these students enter the workforce. Chart 5. Enrolments by ethnic group Source. HESA student record 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 74% 75% 69% 71% 70% 68% 26% 25% 31% 29% 30% 32% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% White BAME Comparing the ethnicity of people enrolling on social work courses to that of all enrolments in higher education showed that social work enrolments were more ethnically diverse. Across all enrolments 22% were from BAME groups compared to 32% for social work courses. Of enrolments on social work courses in 2015/16, 89% of students had a British nationality, 3% had an EU nationality and 9% had a nationality outside of the EU. These proportions have changed very little over time although there were variations found between regions. The highest proportion of enrolments by people with non-british nationalities was in London with 5% from the EU and 17% from non-eu nationalities. The South West had the highest proportion of enrolments from people with British nationalities (98%) with the remaining 2% having an EU nationality. This regional variation follows the nationality profile of people working in the adult social care sector where the proportion of non-british workers was highest in London. It is too early to know what impact the terms of Brexit might have given the relatively small proportion of enrolments into social work education by students with EU nationalities. However, any future reduction in enrolments may have an impact on the supply of social workers to the sector. 17% of people enrolling in 2015/16 considered themselves to have a disability and this proportion has risen from 13% of enrolments in 2010/11. Undergraduate enrolments had a slightly lower proportion of people with a disability (16%) when compared to postgraduate enrolments (18%). There was little difference between regions in terms of disability.
3. Qualifiers from social work education courses This section presents the attainments and course outcomes of social work higher education students. Total numbers and types of qualifications achieved by leaving students are shown for the period covering the academic years 2010/11 to 2015/16. The demographic profile of leaving students and, where applicable, factors affecting rates of successful qualification are described. 4,040 qualifiers from social work courses Leavers by qualification: Undergraduate Postgraduate No qualification 60% 32% 8% Undergraduate achievements: 17% First class 46% Upper second class 30% Lower second class In 2015/16 there were around 4,390 leavers from higher education social work courses. Of these, 60% achieved an undergraduate qualification, 32% achieved a postgraduate qualification and 8% left without obtaining a qualification. This equated to around 4,040 qualifying leavers. Since 2010/11 the proportion of students that left without obtaining a qualification has decreased from 10% to 8% in 2015/16. Undergraduates have made up a decreasing proportion of qualifiers whereas postgraduates have accounted for more, increasing by 5 percentage points, between 2010/11 and 2015/16. Table 2. Course leavers by qualification obtained, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record. Values have been rounded. 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Leavers 5,020 4,800 5,150 5,180 4,790 4,390 Undergraduate achieved 63% 64% 65% 63% 59% 60% Postgraduate achieved 27% 27% 26% 29% 33% 32% No qualification 10% 9% 9% 8% 8% 8% A decrease in both undergraduate and postgraduate leavers can be observed in Chart 7. This trend is a result of the decreasing enrolment numbers observed in Section 2. Enrolments cannot be directly linked to leavers in a particular year due to differing lengths of study but, in general, enrolment figures have the largest impact on leaver figures three years later. Given the trend in enrolments; Skills for Care modelling forecasts that the number of qualifiers will remain broadly the same in 2016/17. Chart 7. Course leavers by qualification obtained, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source. HESA student record. Values have been rounded. 4,000 3,150 3,100 3,340 3,270 2,810 2,640 2,000 0 1,370 1,280 1,360 1,490 1,600 1,400 510 430 450 420 370 350 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Undergraduate achieved Postgraduate achieved No qualification
Table 3 shows the proportion of leavers by age group and whether they achieved their target qualification. Those aged under 24 were less likely to leave higher education with a qualification than those in older age groups. In 2015/16, 81% of those aged under 24 left having qualified compared to 95% of those aged 24 to 29 and aged 30 and above. Since 2010/11, the proportion of leavers aged 24 to 29 and those aged 30 and above that leave having qualified has increased gradually. Comparatively, those aged under 24 have varied between 80% and 87% between 2010/11 and 2015/16. The average age of an undergraduate qualifier was 31 years old and 33 years old for postgraduate qualifiers. Table 3. Course leavers by age group and qualification status, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record. Values have been rounded. 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Under 24 24 to 29 30 and above Leavers 1,060 940 870 820 890 870 Qualifier 80% 84% 87% 83% 83% 81% Non-qualifier 20% 16% 13% 17% 17% 19% Leavers 1,440 1,390 1,330 1,420 1,470 1,370 Qualifier 92% 92% 92% 93% 94% 95% Non-qualifier 8% 8% 8% 7% 6% 5% Leavers 2,720 2,690 2,600 2,910 2,830 2,540 Qualifier 91% 91% 92% 93% 94% 95% Non-qualifier 9% 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% Table 4 shows that there was a small difference by gender in the qualifications rate of leavers from social work higher education. In 2015/16, females (93%) had a slightly higher qualification rate than males (90%). However, from 2010/11 to 2015/16 the qualification rate for both genders has increased. Table 4. Course leavers (qualifiers/non-qualifiers) by gender, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record. Values have been rounded. 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Leavers 4,460 4,320 4,060 4,320 4,350 4,090 Female Qualifier 89% 91% 91% 92% 92% 93% Non-qualifier 11% 9% 9% 8% 8% 7% Leavers 760 700 750 820 830 700 Male Qualifier 87% 86% 89% 89% 90% 90% Non-qualifier 13% 14% 11% 11% 10% 10% Table 5 shows that the qualification rates of students had little variation between nationality groups. Within each group over 90% of students left having achieved a qualification. All nationality groups had an increased proportion of qualifiers between 2010/11 and 2015/16. Table 5. Course leavers (qualifiers/non-qualifiers) by nationality, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record. Values have been rounded. 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Leavers 4,410 4,250 4,090 4,330 4,480 4,170 British Qualifier 89% 89% 90% 91% 92% 92% Non-qualifier 11% 11% 10% 9% 8% 8% Leavers 130 110 100 130 120 120 EU Qualifier 85% 90% 96% 86% 90% 91% Non-qualifier 15% 10% 4% 14% 10% 9% Non- EU Leavers 400 380 350 370 340 390 Qualifier 85% 90% 91% 92% 88% 92% Non-qualifier 15% 10% 9% 8% 12% 8%
Chart 8 shows the classification of degree achieved by qualifying leavers from undergraduate social work courses. The majority of qualifiers in 2015/16 had achieved an upper second class honours degree (46%), followed by those achieving a lower second class honours degree (30%) and those having achieved a first class degree (17%). Chart 8. Undergraduate qualifiers by classification of degree, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record. Values have been rounded. Higher education 24% 50% 22% 5% Social work 17% 46% 30% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% First Upper second Lower second Third/Pass Chart 9 shows that the degree classifications achieved for social work undergraduates increased in 2013/14, but has remained stable at the higher level since. Chart 9. Undergraduate qualifiers by classification of degree, 2010/11 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 56% 57% 56% 44% 43% 44% 63% 63% 63% 37% 37% 37% 0% 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 First and upper second class Lower second, third, pass and unclassified
56% 58% 64% 67% 69% 3% 2% 3% 2% 2% 7% 6% 6% 5% 4% 20% 21% 17% 15% 14% 14% 12% 10% 12% 11% 4. Destination of social work qualifiers The following section presents analysis of the destination of leavers from higher education (DLHE) survey conducted by HESA. The survey is sent to former students approximately 6 months after leaving higher education and is non-mandatory. As the survey is nonmandatory, not all leavers respond, therefore some of the data presented in this section has been weighted to represent all leavers as opposed to just those who had responded. 69% conversion rate into social worker employment 6 months after leaving 68% of students lived, studied and found employment in their home region Found employment: Social work courses All courses 89% 77% Table 7 shows the population of leavers and the number of respondents for the survey between 2011/12 (65%) and 2015/16 (71%). A higher response rate means the survey results will more accurately reflect the target population. Skills for Care has weighted the responses to ensure that the survey is as representative of all leavers from higher education courses in social work as possible. Table 7. DLHE responses and qualifying leavers, 2011/12 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record and destination of leavers from Higher Education Survey 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Qualifiers 4,380 4,700 4,760 4,420 4,040 Respondents 2,870 3,160 3,250 3,120 2,880 Response rate 65% 67% 68% 71% 71% Chart 10 shows the occupation of graduates from social care courses sixth months after leaving education. In 2015/16, 69% of graduates went on to become social workers, and 14% went into another role in social care. A further 2% obtained roles in the health sector and the remaining 15% moved into a role outside of health and social care or were not in employment when surveyed. Chart 10. Occupation (category of job) of social work graduates six months after graduation, 2011/12 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record and destination of leavers from Higher Education Survey 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Social worker Social care related Health related Not related to social care or health 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 Not working / Job title not classified
Over time there has been an increase in the proportion of graduates that entered employment as social workers, from 56% in 2011/12 to the latest rate of 69% in 2015/16. This proportion is the conversion rate of graduates from relevant social work courses to social workers. Over the same period the proportion of people in social care related jobs has decreased, suggesting that more graduates have had the opportunity to take social worker jobs. The increasing conversion rate may be influenced by the decrease in the total number of graduates in recent years. In 2013/14 there were around 4,750 graduates from social work education, this decreased to 4,420 in 2014/15 and decreased again in 2015/16 to 4,040. A cause of this decline is the decrease in enrolments between 2010/11 and 2012/13, although as discussed above, this trend has begun to plateau. As a result, it is expected that the number of graduates will remain at these levels over the next few years. Although there is no specific evidence available to this report, additional factors likely to be impacting on the trend of fewer enrolments could include the closure of some university programmes, and the limiting of enrolment numbers as a result of the capping of the social work bursary scheme. Table 8 below shows the conversion rate by the region of the higher education institute. Graduates in the West Midlands region were most likely to attain employment as social workers (82%), followed closely by the Eastern region (75%) and the South East (74%). The lowest conversion rates were found in London (63%) and the North West (63%). Table 8. Number and percentage of social work graduates working as social workers six months after graduation by HEI region, 2014/15 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record and destination of leavers from Higher Education Survey 2014/15 2015/16 Graduates Conversion rate Graduates Conversion rate England total 4,420 67% 4,040 69% Eastern 340 82% 330 75% East Midlands 350 69% 330 66% London 670 64% 620 63% North East 220 76% 230 71% North West 990 59% 830 63% South East 370 72% 390 74% South West 240 78% 240 74% West Midlands 450 70% 350 82% Yorkshire and Humber 570 57% 540 66% Distance learning 220 71% 180 85% Section 2 showed regions where there were differences between the proportion of enrolments into social work courses and the estimated number of jobs. In particular, regions such as the North West and Yorkshire and Humber had proportionally more enrolments than jobs as social workers. Chart 11 below shows the relationship between the number of qualifying graduates and conversion rate of graduates into social workers. On the far left of the chart are the North West and London, where qualifying graduates are high and the conversion rate is relatively low.
Number of qualifying graduates Chart 11. Percentage of social work graduates working as social workers six months after graduation by HEI region, 2015/16 Source: HESA student record and destination of leavers from Higher Education Survey 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 North West London East Midlands Yorkshire & Humber North East South East Eastern South West West Midlands Distance learning 0 60% 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% 90% Percentage of qualifiers going on to work as social workers Graduates in HEI regions with larger numbers of graduates were less likely to find employment in social work. This may be due to a supply and demand mismatch at regional or local level, whereby the proportion of all newly qualified social workers (who are available to take up employment) may be greater in one area than the relative demand. Further analysis in this report shows some graduates move between regions to find work as a social worker (Chart 14) and some find employment outside of the sector (Chart 13). The funding of Social Work Teaching Partnerships by Government is seen as a key policy in driving forward reforms in social work education through engaging Partnerships to focus on a range of issues on a local basis. One clear criteria for Teaching Partnerships is improvements in workforce planning to inform the required number of social workers to be trained for the future, and ensuring that the necessary resources including practice placements are available. This localised partnership approach will likely address the regional variances in the supply of social work graduates, although careful national coordination will be necessary to avoid shortages caused by any reduction in numbers trained in areas which traditionally export social work graduates. Chart 12 shows the percentage of graduates who find any type of employment after leaving university or continue to study in further education. In 2015/16, 89% of qualifying social work graduates were employed or studying six months after leaving their course, and a small proportion of these were combining working and studying (4%). This proportion was higher than the 77% of graduates across all courses who were employed six months after graduating. This suggests that the skills acquired by social work graduates may have a broader range of applications to employers, and that social work students are more likely to have made a vocational career choice prior to starting their studies. Chart 12. Comparison of employment between social worker and all higher education graduates, 2011/12 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record and destination of leavers from Higher Education Survey 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 85% 75% 88% 77% 90% 78% 88% 78% 89% 77% 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 From social work courses Form all courses
As discussed above, the conversion rate from social work graduates to employed social workers varied by region. Chart 13 below compares the proportion of graduates that became social workers and those that found general employment between regions. The general employment of social work graduates was shown to vary less than the proportion that are employed as social workers. Again, this suggests that social work graduates are well equipped to find employment if they are unable or do not choose to find a social worker role. Chart 13. Proportion of social work graduates in employment six months after graduation by HEI region Source: HESA student record and destination of leavers from Higher Education Survey England Eastern East Midlands London North East North West South East South West West Midlands Yorkshire and Humber Other than regional effects, a number of factors have been identified that can affect the likelihood of a graduate s post-qualifying employment. One such factor is the level of the qualification obtained, shown in Table 9 below. Of the 1,400 postgraduate qualifiers in 2015/16, around 74% were employed as social workers six months after graduating. This compares to 67% of the 2,640 undergraduates. Taken together, these figures demonstrate that postgraduate qualifiers, generally, have greater employability than undergraduates. Table 9. Occupation (category of role) of social work graduates six months after graduation by qualification level, 2011/12 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record and destination of leavers from Higher Education Survey 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Undergraduate All qualifiers 3,100 3,340 3,270 2,810 2,640 Social workers 52% 56% 61% 64% 67% Care/health related 26% 25% 21% 18% 16% Not working/working in a noncare related field 23% 19% 18% 18% 16% Postgraduate All qualifiers 1,280 1,360 1,490 1,600 1,400 Social workers 65% 62% 72% 71% 74% Care/health related 16% 19% 17% 15% 14% Not working/working in a noncare related field 69% 66% 63% 63% 75% 71% 66% 74% 74% 82% 89% 89% 88% 85% 89% 88% 92% 89% 93% 93% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% General employment Social worker 19% 17% 11% 13% 12%
Home region The relationship between a leaver s home region, where they studied and where they found employment is shown in Chart 14. Respondents to the survey were asked where they were currently employed. These responses, where possible, were grouped into regions. These figures may be useful in terms of workforce planning. Across England, the majority of graduates (68%) had remained in their home region for study and employment after leaving. Therefore, the impact is being made where the investment is being applied. This majority varied from 85% in the North East to 54% in the South East. In addition to this, in most regions the second highest proportion were graduates finding employment in their home region after studying elsewhere, therefore the skills they have acquired are pulled back into their home region. This varied between 2% in the North East and 26% in the South East. Across each of the regions, relatively few graduates found employment outside of their home region. For example, London had the highest proportion of graduates studying within the region but moved out of the region for employment (13%). Comparatively, the East Midlands had the highest proportion move out of the region for study and also found employment outside their home region (13%). Chart 14. Movement of leavers for employment Source: HESA student record and destination of leavers from Higher Education Survey England 68% 14% 7% 9% 3% Eastern 66% 15% 6% 10% 4% East Midlands 55% 19% 7% 13% 6% London 67% 10% 13% 6% 4% North East 85% 2% 5% 7% <1% North West 84% 5% 6% 4% 1% South East 54% 26% 5% 10% 4% South West 65% 22% 8% 5% West Midlands 70% 16% 4% 8% 2% Yorkshire and the Humber 66% 12% 9% 10% 3% Non England* 32% 61% 7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Lived, studied and employed in home region Returned to home region for employment after studying elsewhere Stayed in home region for study but employed elsewhere Move out of home region for study and stayed Each was different
5. Social worker jobs and ASYE This section presents information on the number of working social workers, qualifying graduates and registrations on the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE). Table 11 below shows the estimated number of social worker jobs by sector between 2013 and 2016. The number of local authority employed social workers has increased by 11% over the period from 41,390 in 2013 to 46,030 in 2016. Those working in adult social services decreased by 2% whereas those working in children s services increased by 20%. NHS Digital data shows there were around 2,100 social workers employed by the NHS (including adults and children s services) which has increased by 40% since 2013. This could be due to the integration of health and social care services as part of the Sustainable Transformation Plans first announced in 2015 and an increase in NHS Trusts directly employing social workers in integrated services in addition to those seconded or transferred from the local authority. Table 11. Social workers job by sector, 2013/14 to 2016/17 Source: Workforce estimates 2016/17, DfE February 2017. Values have been rounded. 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 Local authority 41,390 42,510 44,670 46,030 Local authority - adults services 16,500 15,700 16,100 16,100 Local authority - children s services 24,890 26,810 28,570 29,930 Independent sector- adults services 1,300 1,000 1,100 1,000 NHS 1,500 1,700 1,800 2,100 Table 12 shows the number of qualifying graduates, newly qualified social workers who were employed within six months of leaving university and ASYE registrations between 2011/12 and 2015/16. It should be noted that ASYE registrations as reported here relate to the number of newly qualified social workers who were registered with Skills for Care or the Department for Education by their employers. Table 12. Qualifying graduates, newly qualified social workers and ASYE registrations, 2011/12 to 2015/16 Source: HESA student record and DLHE Survey, Skills for Care ASYE data 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Qualifying graduates 4,380 4,700 4,760 4,420 4,040 Working as social workers 6 months after graduating 2,430 2,710 3,070 2,930 2,800 Working as social workers (%) 56% 58% 64% 67% 69% ASYE registrations (total) 2,390 2,690 3,570 3,980 4,010 The number of ASYE registration has increased from 2,390 to 4,010 (by 68%) between 2011/12 and 2015/16. This suggests that the demand for newly qualified social workers has increased significantly over the period. Over the same period the number of qualifying graduates has decreased by around 8%. Therefore the supply of new qualified social workers has decreased. These two factors, lower supply and higher demand, will be influencing the increasing conversion rate of graduates to social workers.
In 2015/16, for the first time, the number of ASYE registrations was approximately the same as the number of qualifying graduates (ASYE registrations are usually lower). In order for this to be possible there must also have been some graduates who found employment as a social worker after the 6 month point of the HESA survey. Also some graduates from previous years must have found employment as a social worker for the first time in 2015/16. Further research is needed to understand the current trends in supply and demand of newly qualified social workers as the numbers undertaking the ASYE now almost equals the number of qualifying graduates. Whilst it is likely that graduates from previous years helped fill this gap, this is not a sustainable approach for meeting future demand. Skills for Care will also monitor the progress of the graduate schemes to see if this provides an increase in supply. 6. Acknowledgment of data coverage The data presented in this report was provided by HESA and covers participants in social work education during 2015/16. Data quality filters were applied to ensure the information was accurate at the time of publication. As part of this data quality process, it was acknowledged that there were a relatively small number of records from social work education courses not categorised by HESA as regulated by HCPC. We aim to clarify this distinction in a future release of this report. 7. Workforce intelligence publications and data uses Skills for Care provides outstanding workforce intelligence relied upon by government, strategic bodies, employers and individuals to make decisions that will improve outcomes for people who use services. NMDS-SC is recognised as the leading source of workforce intelligence for adult social care. Skills for Care publications and information about the workforce intelligence available can be found here: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/workforceintelligence