Executive Summary: Justice Social Work Statistics Scotland 2024-25

Bottom Line: Justice social work services are experiencing significant growth across most intervention types, with several areas reaching 10-year highs. 

Post-COVID Recovery Most services have not only recovered from pandemic lows but exceeded pre-2020 levels, suggesting either: 

• Improved service accessibility and effectiveness
• Increased demand due to social and economic pressures
• Policy shifts towards community-based alternatives to custody 

The data shows that frontline justice social workers are managing historically high caseloads across most service areas, requiring careful attention to workload management, training provision, and resource allocation to maintain service quality and practitioner wellbeing. 

Critical Workload Trends 

Rising Demand Across Core Services 

• Bail supervision cases have surged 224% since 2019-20, reaching 1,500 cases in 2024-25 - the highest level in a decade
• Diversion from prosecution increased 7% to 3,600 cases, also at a 10-year high
• Statutory throughcare (custody-based) rose 13% to 1,200 cases, representing the peak level in ten years
• Home detention curfew assessments jumped 47% to 1,100 reports 

Service Under Pressure 

• Fiscal work orders have collapsed to just 40 cases (down from 100), suggesting either reduced capacity or changing prosecution patterns
• Voluntary throughcare fell 18% to 1,400 cases, potentially indicating resource constraints limiting discretionary services 

Demographic Patterns Requiring Attention 

Gender Disparities 

• Men represent 66-97% of cases across all service types, with statutory throughcare showing the highest concentration (97%)
• This suggests ongoing need for male-focused intervention strategies – but the social needs of the women are much higher? 

Age and Employment Factors 

• Unemployment rates among service users range from 47-60% where known
• People aged 31-40 consistently represent the largest group across most services
• Young people (16-20) remain disproportionately represented in diversion services relative to population size 

Resource and Capacity Implications 

Assessment Burden 

• 5,800 bail suitability assessments submitted (only 1% decrease despite 17% increase in cases commenced)
• 67% of bail assessments deemed suitable for supervision, indicating effective screening 

Completion Challenges 

• Only 66% of fiscal work orders were successfully completed
• Growing numbers of structured deferred sentences (1,600) requiring intensive short-term interventions
• Electronic Monitoring Integration 29% of bail supervision cases now involve electronic monitoring (tripled since 2022-23), requiring additional technical competencies and coordination. 

Strategic Concerns for Practice 

Caseload Management: The convergence of rising demand across multiple service types creates compound pressure on individual social workers managing diverse case types. 

Training Needs: Rapid growth in electronic monitoring and new assessment frameworks requires updated skills and knowledge. 

Inter-agency Coordination: High volumes of assessment work and multiple agencies involved in throughcare require robust partnership working. 

Resource Allocation: The dramatic decline in fiscal work orders alongside increases elsewhere suggests a need for service redesign and resource reallocation. 

You can view the full report here: Justice social work statistics: 2024-25 - gov.scot