NHSScotland CAMHS Workforce

This release by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides a quarterly update, as at 31 December 2023, on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) workforce staff in post, vacancies and staff in training.

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 31 December 2023:

• There were 1,502.9 WTE (1719 Headcount) staff in post within NHSScotland CAMHS, an increase of 129.9% since 2006, 51.3% since 31 March 2016, 16.2% since December 2022 and 9.5% since last quarterly census. This is an increase of 26.1% within the Nursing professional group and decrease of 0.1% within the Psychology professional group and 5% within the Medical professional group since December 2022 census. Of the total staff in post, 43.7 WTE (2.9%) were on maternity leave and 15.1 WTE (1%) were on long term sick leave.
• There were 68.2% (1025 WTE) CAMHS staff working in whole-time posts and 26.6% (399.2 WTE) working in part-time posts, an increase of 11.8% in whole-time posts and 6 % in part-time posts since last year’s census. Within the Medical professional group, approximately half (55.5%) of the workforce worked part-time, compared to 42.6% in the Psychology professional group and 13.7% in the Nursing professional group.
• There were 97 WTE vacancies advertised which is a decrease of 48.9% vacancies since December 2022 census. 54.2% of vacancies were in the Psychology professional group,22.2% of vacancies were in the Nursing professional group and 7.2% were in the Other professional group.
• Of the total vacancies advertised, 45.8% were advertised for less than 3 months, 27.5% were advertised for 3-6 months and 26.7% were advertised for more than 6 months. A further 41.2 WTE were approved for recruitment but not yet advertised.
• Of the total 97 WTE vacancies advertised, 20.4% (19.8 WTE) were advertised as new posts and 78% (75.7 WTE) were advertised as replacement posts, 0.5 % (0.5 WTE) were advertised as Maternity/Paternity cover and 1% (1WTE) were advertised as Other category. The total vacancy rate of 6.1% has increased compared to 5.8% for the last quarterly census and decreased from 12.8% for December 2022 census.