CAMHS Workforce NHSScotland

This release by NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides a quarterly update, as at 30 September 2021, 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 30 September 2021:

• There were 1,073.6 WTE staff in post within NHSScotland CAMHS, an increase of 64.2% since 2006, 8.1% since 31 March 2016, 0.7% since September 2020 and a decrease of 1.1% since June 2021 census. This is a decrease of 4.7% within the Psychology professional group, 1.9% within the Medical professional group and 0.1% within the Nursing professional group since last quarterly census. Of the total staff in post, 5% (53.4 WTE) of staff were on maternity/paternity leave and 1.5% (16 WTE) were on long term sick leave.
• There were 755.3 WTE (70.4%) CAMHS staff working in whole-time posts and 318.3 WTE (29.6%) working in part-time posts, an increase of 4.6% in whole-time posts and decrease of 7.5% in part-time posts since September 2020 census. Within the Medical professional group, 56.1% of staff worked part-time, compared to 43.1% in the Psychology professional group and 15.1% in the Nursing professional group.
• Of the total NHSScotland CAMHS workforce, 913.8 WTE (85.1%) were female staff and 158.7 WTE (14.8%) were male staff. This is an increase of 2.4% of male staff and an increase of 1% of female staff since September 2020 census and an increase of 1.9% of male staff and decrease of 1.6% of female staff since June 2021 census.
• There were 186.4 WTE vacancies advertised of which 51.9% of vacancies were in the Psychology professional group and 30.7% of vacancies were in the Nursing professional group. The WTE of vacancies increased by 47.9% since last quarterly census. Of the total vacancies advertised, 71.3% were advertised for less than 3 months, 24.6% were advertised for 3- 6 months and 4.1% were advertised for more than 6 months.
• Of the total 186.4 WTE vacancies advertised,44.3% were advertised as replacement posts,50.8% were advertised as new posts,0.1% were for maternity/paternity cover,1.3% were for other/secondment posts and data was not provided for further 3.2% vacant posts. The total vacancy rate was 14.8% compared to 10.4% for the last quarterly census.