Demographics Report iMatter Survey 2025

Staff Groupings Deep Dive

Demographic Profile

Considerable demographic differences are evidenced across the staff groupings within NHSScotland and Local Authorities. Details of demographics by staff grouping are included in Demographics 2025 Excel Data File. The most notable differences recorded are:

• Ambulance Service staff grouping is the only one to have more males (55%) than females (45%). Support Services is 43% males and Medical and Dental 40% males. In contrast only 10% of Nursing and Midwifery and 11% of Older People Services are male.
• Other Therapeutic and Health Science Services have the largest proportion of staff under 35 years (32% and 31% respectively) with Support Services and Senior Managers having the greatest proportions (40% and 39% respectively) of staff aged 55 years and over.
• Differences in marital status reflect the age differences across Staff Groupings with Health Science Services and Other Therapeutic having the highest incidence of staff who have not married/been in a civil partnership (40% and 38% respectively) and Local Authority Senior Managers the least (13%).
• Similar differences are seen in the incidence of religion within Staff Groupings. Health Science Services and Other Therapeutic have the highest proportions of staff with no religion (65% and 64% respectively). Medical and Dental have the highest incidence of religions other than Church of Scotland (34%), compared to 17% in Ambulance Services.
• Medical and Dental also have the highest incidence of ethnicities other than white (17%).
• Incidence of disability varies across staff groupings, from 5% among NHSScotland Medical and Dental to 11% within Local Authority Strategic Development.

Workplace Experience

There are differences in the workplace experience scores for each of the staff groupings. The main points of interest are noted below:

Administrative Services (NHSScotland)

• Above average overall experience score (7.3 compared to 7.0).
• Individual iMatter scores are typically slightly above the average of all NHSScotland staff.
• The highest uplift of 5 pts (points) is for feeling the organisation cares about their health and wellbeing.

Adult Services (Local Authority)

• Staff in Adult Services score either the same or one point lower than the average of all Local Authority staff.

Allied Health Profession (NHSScotland)

• Scores are generally in line with or slightly above the average of all NHSScotland staff.

Ambulance Services (NHSScotland)

• Lowest score of all staff groupings for overall experience (6.0).

• Score lowest for confidence in raising concerns (69) and confidence that concerns will be followed up (60). This is also the largest gap between the two scores (9 points). The ratings for which Ambulance Service staff score lowest compared to the average of all NHSScotland staff are:

  • Time and resources to support their learning growth (19pts lower than all NHSScotland staff.
  • Getting helpful feedback on how well they do their work (18pts below).
  • Confidence that ideas and suggestions are listened to and acted on (15pts below).
  • Involved in decisions affecting their job (15pts below).

Business Services (Local Authority)

• Above average overall experience score (7.4 compared to 7.0).
• Most iMatter metrics score higher than average of all Local Authority staff.

• The largest uplifts are in:

  • Board member visibility and confidence and trust in Board members (both 5pts higher).
  • Confidence that ideas and suggestions will be listened to and acted on (both 4pts higher).
  • Organisation cares about health and wellbeing (4pts higher).

Children’s Services (Local Authority)

• Scores are similar to, or a little above, the average of all Local Authority staff.

Criminal Justice (Local Authority)

• Scores are similar to, or a little above, the average of all Local Authority staff.

• There are two metrics where the difference is greater than 3pts:

  • Helpful feedback on how well they work (5pts higher).
  • Line Manager cares about health and wellbeing (4pts higher).

Health Science Services (NHSScotland)

• Below average overall experience score (6.7 compared to 7.0).
• The second lowest score for confidence in raising concerns (76) and confidence that concerns will be followed up (68).

• Typically score 3 to 4pts below the average of all NHSScotland staff for iMatter metrics, but two scores are notably lower than that:

  • Time and resources to support learning growth (8pts lower).
  • Confidence that performance in the team is well managed (7pts lower).

Medical and Dental (NHSScotland)

• Below average overall experience score (6.8 compared to 7.0).
• Individual iMatter metrics are typically at or below the NHSScotland staff averages.

Medical and Dental Support (NHSScotland)

• Individual iMatter metrics are typically similar to the scores for all NHSScotland staff.

• The largest differences are for:

  • Happy for a friend or relative to access services within the organisation (4pts higher).
  • Recommend the organisation as a good place to work (3pts higher).
  • Organisation cares about health and wellbeing (3pts higher).

Nursing and Midwifery (NHSScotland)

• Below average overall experience score (6.8 compared to 7.0).
• Individual iMatter metrics are typically at, or just below, the scores for all NHSScotland staff.

Older People Services (Local Authority)

• Staff working in Older People Services typically score lowest of all Local Authority Staff Groupings for iMatter measures in particular those relating to their sense of involvement in decisions relating to their job and their team.

Other Therapeutic (NHSScotland)

• All iMatter scores are similar or slightly above the average for NHSScotland staff.

Personal and Social Care (NHSScotland)

• Above average overall experience score (7.3 compared to 7.0).

• iMatter scores vary compared to the average of all NHSScotland staff, with some notably higher, particularly Organisation measures and some lower. The biggest differences are:

  • Line manager cares about health and wellbeing (4pts lower).
  • Organisation cares about health and wellbeing (4pts higher).
  • Board member visibility (4pts higher).
  • Involved in decisions relating to the organisation (4pts higher).
  • Confidence that performance is well-managed in the organisation (5pts higher).

Senior Managers NHSScotland and Local Authority

• Highest scores for overall experience across all staff groupings (7.5 compared to 7.0).
• Senior Managers are the most confident that their ideas are listened to (84 for both NHSScotland and Local Authority staff) and acted upon (84 and 81 respectively).
• They are also more likely to feel involved in decisions relating to their job.
• Ratings of their team and line manager are similar to the average of all staff. The measure that Senior Managers score notably higher on is being involved in decisions.
• Senior Managers are more positive about the organisation, particularly the Board and their level of involvement in decisions.

Strategic Development (Local Authority)

• Above average overall experience score (7.4 compared to 7.0).
• Have similar scores for the raising concerns questions as Senior Managers, scoring 84 for confidence in raising concerns and 79 for confidence that concerns will be followed up.
• Although Strategic Development staff typically score very highly for iMatter metrics (similar to those for Senior Managers), they score below average for being clear about their duties and responsibilities (3pts lower).

Support Services (NHSScotland)

• Typically score at or above the average of all NHSScotland staff. Several of the Organisation measures score considerably higher:

  • Board members sufficiently visible (6pts higher).
  • Confidence and trust in Board members (5pts higher).
  • Sufficiently involved in decisions relating to the organisation (7pts higher).