Capital and revenue requirements

The tables below summarise the total revenue costs for OCSWA (BAU) and NSWA options over the first five years of operation (2025-26–2029-30).

There is no capital requirement because there are no plans to purchase specific accommodation for the agency,  – instead the NSWA will share existing Scottish Government premises on a non-cost basis, with an arrangement to rent desks from the Care Inspectorate on a “pay per use” basis to minimise costs. Accommodation usage will be reviewed after Year 1, with longer‑term arrangements agreed as required.

Additionality averages £289k/year from 2027-28 after initial set-up through to 2031-32, representing the incremental investment required for the agency model.

Staff costs

Under the current BAU model, OCSWA staff costs are primarily driven by a higher reliance on secondees and temporary staff, which inflates costs despite a lower overall WTE.. NSWA staff costs reflect a permanent workforce structure with a headcount of 40, reducing reliance on secondees and improving sustainability. This results in modest additionality in early years but delivers long-term savings and stability.

Staffing structure comparison

Current structure including vacancies

Grade and count

• A3 - 0
• A4 - 0
• B1 - 3
• B2 - 1
• B3 - 10
• C1 - 10
• C2 - 6
• C3 - 1
• SCS  - 0
• CSWA  - 1
• PSWA  - 5
• Total - 37

Executive agency 

Grade and count

• A3 - 0
• A4 - 0
• B1 - 3
• B2  - 3
• B3 - 13
• C1 - 11
• C2 - 8
• C3 - 0
• SCS  - 1
• CSWA/CEO -  1
• PSWA     
• Total - 40

Non-staff costs

Non-staff costs will be minimised through the use of the Scottish Government shared services for IT, HR, and Finance, however costs for licenses will be passed directly to the NSWA, rather than previously absorbed centrally. 

Discussions continue on a number of shared service costs, with the table below summarising current expected costs. Wherever possible, costs have been minimised and, in many areas, no additional costs are expected due to ongoing use of existing Scottish Government systems and arrangements. DG Corporate are managing the transition and have confirmed the set-up costs will not be cross-charged to OCSWA/NSWA. The creation of the NSWA is not classed as an elective onboarding. While the cost of these services has not been cross-charged, the cost of providing these services would have been in the region of £170,000. 

Accommodation costs will also be minimised by entering shared accommodation agreements in 2 Edinburgh Scottish Government buildings and sharing desks with the Care Inspectorate in Atlantic Quay, Glasgow on a “pay per use” basis. z