Some job vacancies due to ‘cost-cutting’

A social services leader has criticised some Scottish councils for their “haphazard” policy of leaving some social work posts unfilled to keep costs down.

Bernadette Docherty, vice president of the Association of Directors of Social Work, was speaking after Scottish executive figures revealed that nearly 10 per cent of the 438 vacant posts in Scotland at the end of July had been unfilled for at least a year.

Docherty attributed some of the vacancies to the shortage of certain staff in some areas, but said authorities could be choosing to leave some posts unfilled to make savings.

She said such an approach was unsustainable and hoped it would not lead to an increase in long-term vacancies.