More than 6,500 people had their say in last year’s survey, highlighting important aspects like making a difference to people’s lives, how valued they feel and challenges like workload, pay and working conditions.
Why we’re asking you to Have Your Say
We’re running the Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey each year to build a picture of your experiences of working in the sector over time and to understand what is improving, getting worse or what needs to change.
Who can have their say?
Anyone working in social work, social care and children and young people’s services can take part in the Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey. You don’t need to be registered with the SSSC.
We want to hear from everyone, not just those who provide care and support, but also those in roles like administration and housekeeping to help us build a picture of the collective experience of the social service workforce. You can still take part if you have left your role in social services in the past 12 months.
Survey and focus groups
Independent research company, The Diffley Partnership, are carrying out the 2026 research and there’s an opportunity to take part in focus groups this year, as well as completing the survey.
The Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey runs from Monday 12 January to Friday 20 February 2026. It will typically take around 15 to 20 minutes to complete and asks about wellbeing, pay, terms and conditions, support for, and access to, training and qualifications and experiences of working in the sector.
The focus groups will examine themes that emerged from our recent Have Your Say information sharing events to help us understand your story. The option to express an interest in taking part in a focus group is at the end of the survey.
Complete the Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey here.
Help your workforce have their say
You can make sure people working in your service have the chance to have their say by:
- sharing the link with colleagues and staff
- encouraging staff to take part in focus groups, in work time if possible.
What do we do with the survey report?
We've used the results of the 2025 survey to inform real conversations and decisions.
We shared the survey report with decision makers in Scottish Government, local authorities, integrated joint boards, unions and representative bodies because your experiences deserve to shape policy.
We used what you told us to influence the Fair Work agenda, especially around effective voice because being heard is the first step to being valued.
We worked with partners to amplify your voice on the issues that matter most: pay, investment and working conditions.
We’ve identified some key areas where more support is needed; things like clearer career pathways, better supervision and making sure people with additional needs are properly supported.
You can read the Have Your Say Workforce Wellbeing Survey 2025 – report of findings on our data website.
Highlights from the 2025 survey report
- The social service workers who took part told us they want to make a difference to people’s lives. They also generally feel supported by their colleagues and have a positive regard for training and education opportunities.
- They feel valued by the people they support and their families. They are less likely to say they feel valued by the general public, their employers and the Scottish Government.
- A range of issues are causing stress for some parts of the workforce, including time available to carry out work activities, too much paperwork and a lack of support.
- Concerns about workload, low pay and working conditions are contributing to many social service workers (almost half of respondents) looking to leave their jobs in the next five years.