Children’s social work workforce census 2024 to 2025 Business and technical specification - Version 1 November 2024 2 Contents 1. Introduction 6 1.1 Purpose, scope and audience 6 1.2 Definition of a child and family social worker 6 1.3 Scope of children’s social work workforce (CSWW) – individual level data collection 6 1.4 Structure of the children’s social work workforce data collection 6 1.5 Changes from 2024 to 2025 children’s social work workforce census 7 1.5.1 New data items 7 1.5.2 Deleted data items 7 1.5.3 Validation rule changes 7 2. Message header 8 3. Data collection 9 3.1 Overall description and scope 9 3.1.1 Aggregate local authority data 9 3.1.2 Employees included within the census 9 3.2 Outline data content 10 3.3 Local authority level data 10 3.3.1 Number of vacancies 10 3.3.2 Number of agency workers covering vacancies - FTE 11 3.3.3 Number of agency workers covering vacancies – headcount 11 3.3.4 Recruitment bonus 11 3.3.5 Retention bonus 11 3.3.6 Performance reward 11 3.3.7 Car user allowance 12 3.3.8 Relocation package 12 3 3.3.9 Regional weighting 12 3.3.10 Cost of Social Work England (SWE) registration 12 3.3.11 Cost of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks 13 3.3.12 Other allowances and additional payments 13 3.4 Individual workforce data 13 3.4.1 Agency worker 13 3.4.2 SWE identifier 13 3.4.3 FTE as at 30 September 2025 14 3.4.4 Date of birth 14 3.4.5 Sex 14 3.4.6 Ethnic origin 14 3.4.7 Qualification level 14 3.4.8 Step-up graduate 14 3.4.9 Role within organisation 15 3.4.10 Starting date 15 3.4.11 Origin when started 15 3.4.12 Leaving date 16 3.4.13 Destination of leaver 16 3.4.14 Reason for leaving 16 3.4.15 FTE as at 30 September 2024 17 3.4.16 Number of cases held at 30 September 2025 17 3.4.17 Number of days of work missed due to sic