Summary of evidence
Data
Data relating to socio-economic inequalities were considered for the social work workforce, students and those supported by the social work profession. It should be noted that the evidence available was limited in places. For example, HESA captures the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintiles for social work students residing in Scotland; however, there is no equivalent for the social work workforce. Additionally, there is no publicly information available in relation to the SIMD classification of those supported by social work.
Poverty
There is some limited evidence available in relation to the workforce. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2023) report, Poverty in Scotland6, found that health and social work (as one category) is one of the professions most likely to experience poverty. Twenty-three percent of workers in this profession were classified as low paid. Furthermore, 42% of low-paid workers in health and social work worked part-time. The report also discusses the poverty reach of industries, meaning the portion of people in families experiencing in-work poverty who have one or more adult in their family working in that industry. This measurement is used to determine which families are in poverty in an attempt to reduce poverty in Scotland. Twenty-one percent of people experiencing in-work poverty had someone in their family working in health and social work.
Gendered workforce
Another consideration, as documented in the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) for the NSWA, is that the social work profession is predominantly female. The highly gendered nature of the workforce and student population is something to be cognisant of, given gender is one of the largest indicators of poverty prediction. The Poverty Alliance noted that women are more likely to be living in poverty and find it harder to escape poverty.7 In 2023, Engender flagged the need for gendered analysis in policymaking, exploring the range of impact policy has on diverse groups of women.8 For instance, transwomen, ethnic minority women, disabled women, and refugee and asylum-seeking women are more likely to suffer financial insecurity.
Students – demographics, student finance and placements
There is more evidence available about the socio-economic circumstances of students. Data from HESA9 gives a breakdown of SIMD quintiles across Taught Social Work courses for Scotland-domiciled10 students. Approximately 26% of Scottish-domiciled students enrolled in Taught Social Work courses are in Quintile 1, which are the most deprived and, therefore, more likely to face financial difficulties.
The National Union of Students Scotland11 carried out a report into student finances in further and higher education. Five thousand, three hundred and six students were surveyed as part of this, 76% of whom were in higher education. The following portion of students were from widening access categories: low income (42%), mature (44%), disabled (26%), parent (17%), carer (11%), care leaver (6%), estranged (8%).12 The results indicate that these groups face a greater struggle with finances. For example, 37% of those surveyed reported worrying about their finances all of the time. Across the widening access categories, the percentages are notably higher: low income (50%), mature (42%), disabled (45%), parent (49%), carer (51%), care leaver (45%) and estranged (55%). Thirty-seven percent overall have considered leaving their course because of their financial difficulties. Percentages are again notably higher amongst widening access groups: low income (51%), mature (45%), disabled (45%), parent (51%), carer (52%), care leaver (48%) and estranged (59%). When intersectionality is considered, the barriers and challenges faced will be significantly compounded.
Evidence from other sources illustrate parallel findings of financial challenges for students. A ScotCen literature review13 evidences the financial constraints faced by the specific widening access group, estranged students. The literature review found that sexuality, gender identity and religious beliefs can result in estrangement from parents/legal guardians. The implications of this are those in certain minority groups are more likely to be estranged and, therefore, suffer financially.
The Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) recently carried out a survey14 to investigate the issue of placements for social work students. Three hundred and forty-four responses were received: 268 students; 75 newly qualified social workers. Sixty-three percent of respondents reported adverse impacts on their finances as a result of being on placements; whilst a further 21% stated their finances were affected to a certain extent. In addition to the financial strain of placements, 60% of students said their mental health was affected by trying to deal simultaneously with their placements, academic work and in some cases paid employment.
The evidence shows that inequalities of outcome may be evident in the social work profession, especially for the student population. The funding landscape for students at Scottish higher education institutes is complex, with varying eligibility criteria for financial assistance. Widening access groups, as those who are underrepresented in education and most likely to face barriers to attending, struggle more with financial issues. There may be crossover between widening access groups and protected characteristics. In some cases, this could even be across multiple widening access and protected characteristic groups, e.g. Black and Minority Ethnic female students who are also low income, parents and mature. The implications are students will likely face ever greater financial and practical challenges.
Currently, there is some financial help available from the Scottish Government for certain groups of students. For example, the Disabled Students Allowance, a non-income assessed fund administered by the Student Awards Associations Scotland (SAAS).15 A recent report from Advance Higher Education16, however, showed that 76% of students disclosing a disability did not receive this allowance. There are also other options, such as the Care Experienced Bursary, Discretionary Funds for students who are parents, Lone Parents’ Grants and Dependents’ Grants.17 These allowances come with the caveat that they are for specific circumstances and in some cases only available to undergraduate students. While this financial assistance is a good starting point, the proposed NSWA would allow a greater focus on social work education and how to specifically help this student population. The associated EQIA for the NSWA shows that the majority of social work students are female and aged over 30 years old, groups that are more likely to face financial struggles.
Workforce issues
In terms of the social work workforce specifically, the Setting the Bar18 report highlighted unfavourable conditions facing the profession. One of those was poor salary, a negative factor affecting a quarter of respondents. Moreover, pay was mentioned in several narrative responses, where it was felt that the salary paid was not equivalent to the level of responsibility and the need to work additional and/or unsocial hours. The 32 local authorities in Scotland all have varying levels of pay and definitions of the working week. This creates a pay disparity among the workforce that could be exacerbating financial inequalities.
The proposed NSWA will offer national oversight of the social work sector. Its focus on national workforce planning will seek to address recruitment and retention issues. It also intends to improve learning and development opportunities for the profession, throughout the career journey. It is hoped this upskilling will create parity with other professions, something which should help the case for improved pay and conditions.
As documented in the associated Child Rights and Wellbeing Impact Assessment (CRWIA), social workers need to support certain groups of children, including looked after children and those on the child protection register. In terms of socio-economic circumstances, 54% of looked after children in Scotland were found to have a home address in one of the 20% most deprived areas; while 3% were from one of the 20% least deprived areas in Scotland.19 There were similar findings for the child protection register. Of those children added to the register in 2023-24, 48% lived in one of the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland. This is in contrast to the 3% of registrations living in the 20% least deprived areas in Scotland.20