Nuffield Trust response to Skills for Care report on the social care workforce

Responding to the Skills for Care report, Size and Structure of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England, Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Policy Natasha Curry said:

“It’s a relief to see more care workers after last year’s alarming decline. However, there is no room for complacency given staffing numbers are still not even back to where they were before the pandemic.

“Vacancies for care workers have fallen from a historic high of 165,000 last year to just over 150,000, but that is still much higher than the levels we saw before the pandemic. Even before Covid-19, the situation was deteriorating with a workforce in crisis. The significant impact of the pandemic on the social care workforce will take more time to overturn and services will still be struggling to do all that is asked of them.

“Adding care work to the shortage occupation list and issuing more visas since February 2022 appears to be paying off. In the short term, this has helped grow the care workforce by an estimated 70,000 workers, but questions remain about the sustainability of this approach for years to come, especially alongside the absence of a dedicated and comprehensive workforce plan for social care. The care sector is also spending more and more on agency staff just to keep its head above water.

“Relying on overseas workers and agency staff are not the long-term solutions that will put social care staffing on a sustainable footing. So, while it is welcome to see short-term gains, we urgently need to see proper investment in social care if we hope to make the sector an attractive place to work.”