Turning Point for Social Care as the Sector Launches a New Workforce Strategy
The social care system has introduced a New Workforce Strategy to address a vacancy rate three times higher than the wider economy. This strategy focuses on enhancing the quality of roles in adult social care, aiming to attract and retain individuals with the right skills and values to deliver exceptional care and support.
The Current Landscape
The social care sector in the UK faces several critical issues:
- Staff Shortages: As of 2023, there are approximately 165,000 vacancies in adult social care.
- Turnover Rates: The sector experiences a high annual turnover rate of about 30%, contributing to instability and inconsistency in care.
- Aging Workforce: Nearly a quarter of the workforce is aged over 55, highlighting the need for succession planning.
The workforce development body for adult social care in England has developed a strategy, in collaboration with a wide range of organisations and people with a stake in the future of the sector. These include the organizations from health and education sectors, Integrated Care Systems, The Care Quality Commission and representatives of care workers, employers and local authorities.
This strategy highlights the impact of social care in terms of improving lives while supporting economic growth, with the sector currently contributing £60 billion a year to the economy. The workforce strategy was brought into play to complement the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.
This workforce strategy covers for the next 15 years and recent data shows that we in future will need 540,000 additional social care posts by 2040 if the workforce is to grow in line with the increase in the number people over the age of 65 in the population. That number is expected to grow most sharply over the next decade, so we will need 430,000 extra posts by 2035.
The sector expects government to review the strategy regularly, to keep a focus on this core workforce.
Recommendations for Government include:
- Need to take actions take persistently and consistently to improve pay, terms and conditions for pay workers.
Need to continuously invest in training and clear career pathways.
- Need to introduce legislation to mandate strategic workforce planning. Further, create a central body which is to be directed and supported by government.
Recommendations for others in the sector include:
- Local government, Skills for Care, NHS Employers and partners should support Integrated Care Systems to develop their own workforce strategies.
- The Council of the Deans of Health should ensure adult social care is reflected in higher education.
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) should focus more of its research on social care and disseminate more of its work to the sector.
The Workforce Strategy is an imperative initiative in social care at this present time. It covers the essentials we need to have a dedicated, determined, confident, capable and motivated workforce for the future. The people of this country need all the organizations, including the government, local government, regulators and employers to work together to deliver this strategy.
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Published: 24th of July 2024
By: Angel Care Health