The annual State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England report reveals a 2.2% rise in total posts, underscoring the sector’s growing economic importance. However, the findings also highlight ongoing struggles with domestic recruitment, workforce sustainability, and declining qualification levels.
The economic boost has been attributed to more filled posts and the impact of the National Living Wage, which lifted average pay. Yet, despite improved capacity, the vacancy rate remains at 7 per cent, around three times higher than the wider economy, and long term recruitment challenges persist.
While international recruitment continues to play a major role, the number of new overseas recruits has fallen sharply from 105,000 in 2023/24 to 50,000 this year. Over the same period, British nationals working in care dropped by 30,000, a 2.6 per cent decrease, raising concerns about the sustainability of the workforce.
For the first time, the report included data on employer sick pay and pensions, showing that 62 per cent of care providers do not offer enhanced sick pay and 57 per cent do not provide enhanced employer pension contributions above 3 per cent.
Qualification levels have also declined. Only 38 per cent of care and support workers now hold a Level 2 qualification, compared to 41 per cent last year and 48 per cent in 2018/19.
The report identified five key factors that affect turnover which are pay, contract type, training, qualifications, and full time hours, revealing that workers with none of these in place are three times more likely to leave their job than those with all five.
Other findings include:
- Total posts reached 1.71 million, including 1.6 million filled and 111,000 vacant.
- Vacancy levels fell 12.4 per cent year on year.
- Turnover in the independent sector decreased from 25.8 per cent to 24.7 per cent.
- The sector is projected to need 470,000 new posts by 2040 to meet future demand.
Professor Oonagh Smyth, Chief Executive of Skills for Care, said the data shows both progress and warning signs.
“It is positive to see the workforce growing and vacancies falling, but much of this progress has been driven by international recruitment. As both domestic and international recruitment slow, we must find new ways to build sustainable capacity.
Falling qualification levels, as care becomes more complex, suggest capability could become a serious challenge. We need to invest in training and career development to ensure people have the skills and confidence for these essential roles.”
Smyth emphasised the importance of initiatives like the Workforce Strategy, Fair Pay Agreement, and the creation of a National Care Service, saying these steps are key to creating a thriving, skilled workforce that supports people to live independently in their communities.
View the full report.
