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for="s">Search for:</label> <input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s" /> <input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search" /> </div> </form> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mobile-strap mobile-only"><a href="http://jobs.communitycare.co.uk/">Jobs</a> <a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/live/">Live</a> <a href="/community-care-inform-children-adults/">Inform</a></div> </div>  <div class="clear"></div>  <div id="content" class="col-full"> <div id="main-sidebar-container">  <div id="main"> <div class="post post-216011 type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-social-work-leaders category-workforce tag-flexible-working tag-social-work-in-scotland tag-recruitment-and-retention tag-part-time-work wpautop"> <h1 class="title">Social work bodies urge action to boost flexible working opportunities</h1><h2 class="subtitle">Just over half of Scottish councils offer flexible working in social work job adverts, find Scottish Association of Social Work and Social Workers Union</h2><div class="post-meta"><span class="small">By</span> <span class="author vcard"><span class="fn"><a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/author/f3206a8f44bd451f92cd7d9d9620297c/" title="Posts by Mithran Samuel" rel="author">Mithran Samuel</a></span></span> <span class="small">on</span> March 3, 2025 <span class="small">in</span> <span class="categories"><a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/social-work-leaders/" rel="category tag">Social work leaders</a>, <a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/workforce/" rel="category tag">Workforce</a></span></div> <div class="entry"> <img width="600" height="375" src="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2022/06/Flexible_working_image_Paolese_AdobeStock_344592728.jpg" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Woman working at home" decoding="async" srcset="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2022/06/Flexible_working_image_Paolese_AdobeStock_344592728.jpg 600w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2022/06/Flexible_working_image_Paolese_AdobeStock_344592728-300x188.jpg 300w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2022/06/Flexible_working_image_Paolese_AdobeStock_344592728-192x120.jpg 192w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2022/06/Flexible_working_image_Paolese_AdobeStock_344592728-24x15.jpg 24w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2022/06/Flexible_working_image_Paolese_AdobeStock_344592728-36x23.jpg 36w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2022/06/Flexible_working_image_Paolese_AdobeStock_344592728-48x30.jpg 48w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><div class="featuredcaption">Photo: Paolese/Adobe Stock</div> <div class="at-above-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/03/03/social-work-bodies-urge-action-to-boost-flexible-working-opportunities/"></div><p>Social worker bodies have urged action from employers to improve flexible working opportunities for staff in Scotland, after finding there was a “long way to go” in this area.</p> <p><a href="https://swu-union.org.uk/2025/03/sasw-swu-report-calls-on-social-work-employers-to-embrace-flexible-working/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Scottish Association of Social Workers (SASW) and Social Workers Union (SWU) released research today</a> showing that 55% of public sector social work employers – the 32 councils plus with NHS Highland – offered flexible working in their job advertisements.</p> <p>A further 36% did not, with 9% unable to answer, according to the data, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.</p> <p>An average of 28% of social workers had formal flexible working arrangements in place across the 17 employers that provided this information, though this ranged from 1% to 89% between areas.</p> <p>Eleven employers also supplied data on the number of flexible working requests from social workers that they received in 2022-23, which ranged from 0 to 25 between areas, with all but two of these being granted.</p> <h4><strong>Fewer jobs being advertised on part-time basis</strong></h4> <p>The findings follow the results of <a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/06/07/proportion-of-social-work-roles-offered-part-time-grows-slightly-but-remains-less-than-a-quarter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SWU’s 2024 analysis of social work job advertisements to identify the proportion offering part-time or flexible hours. </a></p> <p>While Scotland had the highest proportion of such adverts of the UK nations, this had dropped from 30.5% in 2022 to 26.7% last year.</p> <p>SASW and SWU also said that the number of social workers working part-time in Scotland had remained stagnant over the past decade, citing Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) figures showing that the number in 2022 – 1,307 – was broadly the same as that in 2013 (1,350).</p> <h4><strong>Flexible working and the law surrounding it</strong></h4> <p>As well as part-time hours, flexible working includes remote or hybrid working, term-time hours, flexitime, under which employees can choose their working hours within limits, staggered hours, where staff have different start and finish times to the norm, job sharing or compressed hours.</p> <p><a href="https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-flexible-working-requests/html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Under the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023, which came into force in April 2024</a>, employees can request flexible working from day one of their employment and are able to make two requests in any 12-month period.</p> <p>Employers must respond within two months and must agree the request unless there is a permitted business reason – such as additional costs or a detrimental impact on quality – to refuse. They must consult with the employee on the practicalities of the request before refusing it.</p> <h4><strong>Social work context</strong></h4> <p>In their report, SASW and SWU said enabling flexible working had the potential to improve the retention challenges social work faced in Scotland.</p> <p><a href="https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/19-intelligence/210-the-demand-for-social-workers-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A 2019 SSSC report</a> found that three-quarters of practitioners were registered six years after graduation, entailing that a quarter had left the workforce during that time, <a href="https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/369-social-worker-filled-posts-and-vacancies-six-monthly-survey-at-june-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">while the regulator reported that 9.3% of local authority posts lay vacant as of June 2024.</a></p> <p>SASW and SWU said flexible working was of particular benefit to women, who make up the vast majority of the workforce, given they took on the bulk of unpaid caring responsibilities within the home.</p> <p>The social work bodies also cited the value of part-time working for workers aged over 55, with the same 2019 SSSC report finding that they constituted a fifth of the workforce.</p> <h4><strong>‘Disproportionately’ high workloads for part-time staff</strong></h4> <p>However, it cited barriers to social workers reducing their hours, including issues raised by part-time staff being given a caseload in line with the proportion of full-time equivalent hours they worked.</p> <p>This failed to take into account the fact that they often had to spend as much time as full-time staff in meetings or training, leaving them less time per case and meaning their workloads were disproportionately high.</p> <p>The report suggested this could be tackled by job sharing or part-time workers taking on duty work, co-working cases with less experienced colleagues or taking on specific pieces of more complex work.</p> <p><strong>Call for caseload monitoring</strong></p> <p>Other recommendations for employers included employers having monitoring systems to ensure caseloads were manageable, particularly for part-time staff.</p> <p>SASW and SWU also called for employers to “actively encourage and support social work managers to consider how part-time working can be implemented in teams safely and effectively”.</p> <p>They also recommended that employers hold information on who is working flexibly in their teams as a central dataset, enabling them to pool hours left over from people who had reduced their working week in order to offer job sharing opportunities to others.</p> <h4><strong>Employers ‘need to offer more part-time roles’</strong></h4> <div id="attachment_185843" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-185843" class="size-full wp-image-185843" src="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2021/06/JMc-SWU-resized.jpg" alt="John McGowan, Social Workers Union" width="600" height="375" srcset="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2021/06/JMc-SWU-resized.jpg 600w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2021/06/JMc-SWU-resized-300x188.jpg 300w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2021/06/JMc-SWU-resized-192x120.jpg 192w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2021/06/JMc-SWU-resized-24x15.jpg 24w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2021/06/JMc-SWU-resized-36x23.jpg 36w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2021/06/JMc-SWU-resized-48x30.jpg 48w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><p id="caption-attachment-185843" class="wp-caption-text">John McGowan, Social Workers Union (photo: Simon Hadley)</p></div> <p>SWU general secretary John McGowan said: “With recruitment of social workers still proving challenging for employers, now is the time for concerted action. We need to see social work employers offering more roles on part-time or flexible hours contracts.</p> <p>“Flexible working provides clear opportunities to address social work staffing shortages; it will attract and retain present workers who need a flexible working environment. This can only improve wellbeing and work-life balance which is much needed in our challenging profession.”</p> <div class="full-width-box"> <h4><strong>Celebrate those who’ve inspired you</strong></h4> <div id="attachment_211144" style="width: 232px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-211144" class="wp-image-211144" src="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25.png" alt="" width="222" height="222" srcset="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25.png 500w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-300x300.png 300w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-150x150.png 150w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-400x400.png 400w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-60x60.png 60w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-192x192.png 192w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-120x120.png 120w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-45x45.png 45w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-24x24.png 24w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-36x36.png 36w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2024/08/Untitled-design-25-48x48.png 48w" sizes="(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px" /><p id="caption-attachment-211144" class="wp-caption-text">Photo by Daniel Laflor/peopleimages.com/ AdobeStock</p></div> <p>Do you have a colleague, mentor, or social work figure you can’t help but gush about?</p> <p>Our <a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/05/17/celebrate-social-workers-voice-note-brilliant-colleague/">My Brilliant Colleague</a> series invites you to celebrate anyone within social work who has inspired you – whether current or former colleagues, managers, students, lecturers, mentors or prominent past or present sector figures whom you have admired from afar.</p> <p>Nominate your colleague or social work inspiration by filling in <a href="https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7702674/my-brilliant-colleague">our nominations form</a> with a few paragraphs (100-250 words) explaining how and why the person has inspired you.</p> <p><strong>*Please note that, despite the need to provide your name and role, you or the nominee can be anonymous in the published entry*</strong></p> <p>If you have any questions, email our community journalist, Anastasia Koutsounia, at <a href="mailto:anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com">anastasia.koutsounia@markallengroup.com</a></p> </div> <div class="at-below-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/03/03/social-work-bodies-urge-action-to-boost-flexible-working-opportunities/"></div> </div> <div class="fix"></div> <div class="post-utility"><p class="tags icon"><a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/tag/flexible-working/" rel="tag">flexible working</a>, <a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/tag/social-work-in-scotland/" rel="tag">social work in Scotland</a>, <a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/tag/recruitment-and-retention/" rel="tag">social work recruitment and retention</a>, <a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/tag/part-time-work/" rel="tag">working part-time in social work</a></p> </div> </div> <div id="articlemore"> <h2>More from Community Care</h2> <div class='yarpp yarpp-related yarpp-related-website yarpp-template-thumbnails'>  <h3>Related articles:</h3> <div class="yarpp-thumbnails-horizontal"> <a class='yarpp-thumbnail' rel='norewrite' href='https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2024/06/07/proportion-of-social-work-roles-offered-part-time-grows-slightly-but-remains-less-than-a-quarter/' title='Proportion of social work roles offered part-time grows slightly but remains less than a quarter'> <img width="120" height="120" src="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2023/06/Full-time-or-part-time-on-flipchart_ogichobanov_AdobeStock_212273550-120x120.jpg" class="attachment-yarpp-thumbnail size-yarpp-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="PART-TIME and FULL-TIME written on notebook on wooden desk with marker pen and glasses." data-pin-nopin="true" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2023/06/Full-time-or-part-time-on-flipchart_ogichobanov_AdobeStock_212273550-120x120.jpg 120w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2023/06/Full-time-or-part-time-on-flipchart_ogichobanov_AdobeStock_212273550-150x150.jpg 150w, 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wp-post-image" alt="Terms and Conditions text, Office desk with electronic devices, computer and paper, wood table from above, concept image for blog title or header image." data-pin-nopin="true" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2023/12/Terms-and-conditions-image-MichaelJBerlin_AdobeStock_136036009-120x120.jpg 120w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2023/12/Terms-and-conditions-image-MichaelJBerlin_AdobeStock_136036009-150x150.jpg 150w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2023/12/Terms-and-conditions-image-MichaelJBerlin_AdobeStock_136036009-60x60.jpg 60w, https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2023/12/Terms-and-conditions-image-MichaelJBerlin_AdobeStock_136036009-45x45.jpg 45w" sizes="(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px" /><span class="yarpp-thumbnail-title">National social work terms and conditions needed to tackle ‘recruitment crisis’ – 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https://markallenassets.blob.core.windows.net/communitycare/2017/12/StockPhotoPro-45x45.jpg 45w" sizes="(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px" /><span class="yarpp-thumbnail-title">Social workers to face return to practice requirements in Scotland</span></a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-entries"> <div class="nav-prev icon fl"><a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/03/03/first-council-rated-outstanding-since-return-of-cqc-adult-social-care-assessments/" rel="prev">First council rated outstanding since return of CQC adult social care assessments</a></div> <div class="nav-next icon fr"><a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/03/04/record-numbers-of-childrens-social-workers-in-post-but-fewer-holding-cases-figures-reveal/" rel="next">Record numbers of children’s social workers in post but fewer holding cases, figures reveal</a></div> <div class="fix"></div> </div> <div id="comments"> <h3 id="comments-title">3 Responses to <em>Social work bodies urge action to boost flexible working opportunities</em></h3> <ol class="commentlist"> <li class="comment even thread-even depth-1"> <a name="comment-364026"></a> <div id="li-comment-364026" class="comment-container"> <div class="avatar"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/065046a3fd52560ecf50ffec12f4bce7?s=40&d=blank&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/065046a3fd52560ecf50ffec12f4bce7?s=80&d=blank&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-40 photo' height='40' width='40' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/></div> <div class="comment-head"> <span class="name">Not Worthy</span> <span class="date">March 4, 2025 at 11:16 am</span> <span class="perma"><a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/03/03/social-work-bodies-urge-action-to-boost-flexible-working-opportunities/#comment-364026" title="Direct link to this comment">#</a></span> <span class="edit"></span> </div> <div class="comment-entry" id="comment-364026"> <p>The unsaid always is how flexible working impacts disproportionately on those of us without children. As ever the pecking order of entitlement is skewed. A union withy of that claim would acknowledge the discrimination those of us without children face. That’s all.</p> <div class="reply"> <a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-364026" data-commentid="364026" data-postid="216011" data-belowelement="comment-364026" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to Not Worthy" aria-label="Reply to Not Worthy">Reply</a> </div> </div> </div> <ul class="children"> <li class="comment odd alt depth-2"> <a name="comment-364066"></a> <div id="li-comment-364066" class="comment-container"> <div class="avatar"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4bd4a3d1f743296dd6d73582ab962fe2?s=40&d=blank&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/4bd4a3d1f743296dd6d73582ab962fe2?s=80&d=blank&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-40 photo' height='40' width='40' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/></div> <div class="comment-head"> <span class="name">AllyBally</span> <span class="date">March 4, 2025 at 8:06 pm</span> <span class="perma"><a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/03/03/social-work-bodies-urge-action-to-boost-flexible-working-opportunities/#comment-364066" title="Direct link to this comment">#</a></span> <span class="edit"></span> </div> <div class="comment-entry" id="comment-364066"> <p>Do you mean because we’re expected to work holidays/half terms etc while those with kids need it off? Or because working full time means we cover more absences/sickness, pick up part timers work if there is an emergency, and generally are more involved in supporting the team?</p> <div class="reply"> <a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-364066" data-commentid="364066" data-postid="216011" data-belowelement="comment-364066" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to AllyBally" aria-label="Reply to AllyBally">Reply</a> </div> </div> </div> <ul class="children"> <li class="comment even depth-3"> <a name="comment-364117"></a> <div id="li-comment-364117" class="comment-container"> <div class="avatar"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d1ea440251717b2d5d40bffe812f08fa?s=40&d=blank&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d1ea440251717b2d5d40bffe812f08fa?s=80&d=blank&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-40 photo' height='40' width='40' loading='lazy' decoding='async'/></div> <div class="comment-head"> <span class="name">Chris</span> <span class="date">March 5, 2025 at 7:35 am</span> <span class="perma"><a href="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/2025/03/03/social-work-bodies-urge-action-to-boost-flexible-working-opportunities/#comment-364117" title="Direct link to this comment">#</a></span> <span class="edit"></span> </div> <div class="comment-entry" id="comment-364117"> <p>All I know is that those with children in my team “need” time off but it never seems to be the turn of their partners to take the time off from their work. Shared parenting always non existent when it comes to social work teams in my experience. It’s not about those of us without children working harder or always covering for collagues “child care needs”. It’s about the assumption that without children we just have to be more flexible about our plans for time off. Apart from anything else the assumptions are sexist because it seems it is only mothers and not the father who takes care of children at holiday periods. If I was less diplomatic I would ask the question “If I wasn’t responsible for the birth of your child why am I expected to share in their care?”. That’s all as Not Worthy says.</p> <div class="reply"> <a rel="nofollow" class="comment-reply-link" href="#comment-364117" data-commentid="364117" data-postid="216011" data-belowelement="comment-364117" data-respondelement="respond" data-replyto="Reply to Chris" aria-label="Reply to Chris">Reply</a> </div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ol> </div> <div id="respond" class="comment-respond"> <h3 id="reply-title" class="comment-reply-title">Leave a Reply <small><a rel="nofollow" id="cancel-comment-reply-link" href="/2025/03/03/social-work-bodies-urge-action-to-boost-flexible-working-opportunities/#respond" style="display:none;">Click here to cancel reply.</a></small></h3><form action="https://www.communitycare.co.uk/wp-comments-post.php" method="post" id="commentform" class="comment-form"><p class="comment-form-comment"><label class="hide" for="comment">Comment <span class="required">*</span></label> <textarea tabindex="4" id="comment" name="comment" cols="50" rows="10" 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