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Social services departments failed to hit their targets for reducing job vacancies last year, according to the sector's annual workforce survey, writes Mithran Samuel.

The study, published by training body Skills for Care, shows average vacancies fell by just 0.3 per cent to 11 per cent between 2002-3 and 2003-4.

Had all departments met their targets, the vacancy rate would have been 10.2 per cent.

However, the national picture masks significant variations between regions and individual authorities.

Vacancies rose by 2 per cent to 11.6 per cent in the West Midlands, but fell by 3.2 per cent in the traditional recruitment hotspot of outer London.

The vacancy rate was highest in inner London at 18.3 per cent, with a low of 6 per cent in the north-east, while nationally rates varied between 0.7 per cent and 35 per cent.

The traditionally hard-to-recruit area of childcare social work saw a fall in vacancies between 2002 and 2003 from 12.6 per cent to 11.8 per cent.

However the proportion of empty posts rose from 9.2 per cent to 10.2 per cent for other social workers.

The State of the Social Care Workforce is available from www.skillsforcare.org.uk