NHSScotland CAMHS Workforce

This release by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides a quarterly update, as at 30 June 2023, on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) workforce staff in post and vacancies.

Figures are presented as headcount (actual numbers of staff) and whole time equivalent (WTE), which adjusts the figures to take account of part time working.

At 30 June 2023:

• There were 1,359.5 WTE (1556 Headcount) staff in post within NHSScotland CAMHS, an increase of 108% since 2006, 36.8% since 31 March 2016, 10.4% since June 2022 and 2.9% since last quarterly census. This is an increase of 16.3% within the Nursing professional group and decrease of 0.9% within the Psychology professional group and 0.6% within the Medical professional group since last year census. Of the total staff in post, 49.5 WTE (3.6%) were on maternity/paternity leave and 18.3 WTE (1.3%) were on long term sick leave.
• There were 71.4% (970.8 WTE) CAMHS staff working in whole-time posts and 28.6% (388.7 WTE) working in part-time posts, an increase of 10.7% in whole-time posts and 9.7% in part-time posts since last year census. Within the Medical professional group, more than half (60.6%) of the workforce worked part-time, compared to 41.8% in the Psychology professional group and 14.5% in the Nursing professional group.
• There were 145.4 WTE vacancies advertised of which 45.6% of vacancies were in the Nursing professional group, 37.9% of vacancies were in the Psychology professional group and 5.5% were in the Other professional group. The WTE of vacancies decreased by 8.7% since last quarterly census and 1.4% since June 2022 census.
• Of the total vacancies advertised, 49.8% were advertised for less than 3 months, 24.9% were advertised for 3- 6 months and 25.3% were advertised for more than 6 months. A further 47 WTE were approved for recruitment but not yet advertised.
• Of the total 145.4 WTE vacancies advertised, 57.4% (83.5 WTE) were advertised as new posts and 42.6% (61.9 WTE) were advertised as replacement post. The total vacancy rate of 9.7% has decreased compared to 10.8% for the last quarterly census and 10.7% for June 2022 census.