FOI 25-440 Workforce Composition

Freedom of Information Request

Reference
FOI 25-440 Workforce Composition
Request Date
07 Oct 2025
Response Date
10 Oct 2025
Information Requested

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 regarding disabled staff within the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS), with a focus on workforce composition and recruitment practices. 
 
Please provide the following information for the last five financial years (2020/21 to 2024/25), or the most recent period available: 
 
1. Workforce Composition 
        •       The total number of SAS employees each year. 
        •       The number and percentage of employees who have declared a disability under the Equality Act 2010. 
        •       A breakdown of disabled staff by: 
        •       Job family or role (e.g. operational, clinical, support, management); and 
        •       Type of disability, where this information is held (e.g. physical, sensory, neurodivergent, mental health condition, long-term illness, learning disability), ensuring anonymity. 
 
2. Recruitment and Retention 
        •       The total number of staff recruited each year, broken down by job family or role. 
        •       Of those recruited, the number and percentage who declared a disability at the application and appointment stages, broken down by type of disability, if available. 
        •       Details of how recruitment campaigns were conducted, including: 
        •       The platforms or channels used to advertise roles (e.g. NHS Scotland recruitment site, social media, external job boards, disability-focused platforms, or partner organisations). 
        •       Any specific measures taken to promote inclusivity or reach disabled applicants. 
        •       Details of any positive action measures or guaranteed interview schemes for disabled applicants. 
        •       The number of disabled staff who have left the organisation each year, with any available breakdown by reason for leaving (e.g. resignation, ill-health retirement, dismissal) and type of disability, if recorded. 

Response

Please find below the information available for the financial years 2020/21 and 2024/25, as published in the SAS Workforce Equality Monitoring Reports available on our website - Equality and Diversity Publications 

  1. Workforce Composition
  • Total Employees: 6,614 (2020/21); 6,603 (2024/25) 
  • Female Staff: 43% (2020/21); 47.8% (2024/25) 
  • Staff Disclosing a Disability: 2.8% (2020/21); 2.0% (2024/25) 
  • Staff Not Disclosing Disability: 20.6% (2020/21); 20% (2024/25) 
  • Ethnic Minority Staff: 1.2% (both years) 
  1. Recruitment and Retention
  • Applications Received: 3,965 (2020/21); 6,267 (2024/25) 
  • Roles Advertised: 299 (2020/21); 345 (2024/25) 
  • Success Rate (All Applicants): 15% (2020/21); 6.2% (2024/25) 
  • Disabled Applicants: 6.5% (2020/21); 12.7% (2024/25) 
  • Success Rate (Disabled Applicants): 14% (2020/21); 15.3% (2024/25) 
  • Disabled Staff Leaving: 1.8% (2020/21); 1.2% (2024/25) 
  • Ill Health as Reason for Leaving: 4% (2020/21); 2.6% (2024/25) 
  1. Inclusivity Measures
  • SAS participates in the Disability Confident Scheme and offers a Job Interview Guarantee for disabled applicants. 
  • Recruitment campaigns include outreach to third-sector partners such as Deaf Action, Dyslexia ScotWest, and Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society. 
  • SAS has developed staff networks including the Ethnic Minority Forum, Proud@SAS (LGBT+), Disability Network, and others. 

 

Further information on inclusivity measures can be found on our website Equality and Diversity Publications 

 

The Scottish Ambulance Service has applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 to detailed breakdowns by job family or specific disability types.  This information is not held in a reportable format. 

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