This report addresses two questions raised following the submission of the report The Northern Ireland Social Services Workforce in Transition .
Fewer staff leave residential work in Northern Ireland after qualifying training than elsewhere.
Seconded staff, particularly older workers and managers, were more likely to remain in residential work than staff who trained on a grant. There was a net movement of qualified staff from residential work into field work and management in all UK workforces - a third of currently qualified staff had at some time worked in residential work. However, experience gained in residential work was not lost- most former residential workers stayed with the same user group regardless of subsequent job moves or career progression. In addition, a third of residential staff working with children in Northern Ireland were qualified, three times as many as in the English study. The research confirms that staff move from residential work following qualifying training.