Soulbury Workforce Survey 2011
23 May 2012
This report presents data from the Soulbury Workforce Survey 2011 and provides up-to-date information on pay levels, recruitment and retention issues and characteristics of the Soulbury workforce. The survey updates five previous surveys conducted between 1990 and 2007, undertaken on behalf of the Soulbury Committee and Local Government Association (LGA).
Key Findings
- In total, 57 local authorities (LAs) responded to the survey, giving a response rate of 33 per cent.
- The workforce had a total of 9,952 posts on 1st January 2011 (excluding an estimated 2,241 of ‘other’ staff who form part of the Soulbury workforce, e.g. advisory teachers and heads of service).
- Overall, 6,587 (66 per cent) of the Soulbury workforce were educational improvement professionals (EIPs), 2,626 (26 per cent) were educational psychologists and 739 (seven per cent) were young people’s/community service managers. The majority of Soulbury staff were full-time and most were female. Ethnic minority groups represented a small proportion of Soulbury staff.
- Full time employment between 2007 and 2011 had decreased among EIPs and educational psychologists, with the exception of young people’s/community service managers, where there was an increase of 63 percentage points. This increase may reflect recent LA workforce re-structures.
- The total annual pay bill for Soulbury staff, stood at £440.9 million on 1st January 2011. Turnover rates for the workforce varied considerably for all job categories between regions and, to a lesser extent, types of authority. There was a decrease in vacancy rates from 2007 to 2011 for all groups.
- The most common destination for education improvement professionals and education psychologists was retirement. Nine LAs had experienced recruitment difficulties over the last year and the main reason given was the inadequate number of applicants.