New Survey Highlights Improving Morale Across Adult Social Care Workforce – But Pressures Persist
A major government survey has found signs of improving wellbeing and job satisfaction among England’s adult social care workforce, although persistent concerns around stress, staffing pressures and career development continue to affect many care professionals.
The findings come from the second wave of the Department of Health and Social Care’s Adult Social Care Workforce Survey, which gathered responses from more than 3,000 care workers between August and October 2025. Published on 2 July 2026, the research provides one of the most comprehensive pictures yet of the workforce’s experiences since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conducted by Ipsos in partnership with Skills for Care, the University of Kent and King’s College London, the survey measured wellbeing, work-related quality of life and changes since the first national survey undertaken in 2023.
The report paints a cautiously optimistic picture, with overall work-related quality of life improving across several measures compared with the previous survey.
Workers reported higher levels of job and career satisfaction, improved perceptions of working conditions and stronger feelings of control over their work. Relationships with colleagues and managers also remained a significant strength across the sector, with many respondents describing supportive workplace cultures that contributed positively to their wellbeing.
However, despite these improvements, work-related stress remains one of the weakest areas measured. High workloads, staffing shortages and the emotional demands of providing care continue to place considerable pressure on many frontline workers.
The survey also lays bare the scale of violence and abuse faced by care staff. Two in five workers (41%) said they had experienced physical violence from those they support at least once in the past year — nearly three times the rate reported by NHS staff (14%). Over one in five of those affected (22%) had experienced it three or more times.
Registered nurses, nursing associates and allied health professionals (54%), senior care workers (53%) and care workers (47%) were most likely to report physical violence.
One of the report’s most significant findings is the strong relationship between employees’ quality of working life and their intention to remain in the sector.
Staff who experienced higher levels of wellbeing, greater autonomy, supportive management and opportunities for development were substantially more likely to say they intended to stay in adult social care. Conversely, poorer experiences were closely associated with thoughts of leaving.
Researchers conclude that improving day-to-day working conditions could play an important role in addressing the sector’s long-standing recruitment and retention challenges.
As in the first survey, registered managers reported some of the highest levels of work-related quality of life, alongside personal assistants and occupational therapists.
Meanwhile, direct care workers, particularly those delivering frontline care in residential, nursing and domiciliary settings, continued to report comparatively lower wellbeing scores, reflecting the intensity and demands of their roles.
The research highlights the importance of feeling valued and recognised.
Workers who believed their contribution was appreciated by employers, colleagues and the wider public consistently reported better wellbeing and stronger commitment to remaining in the profession.
Training opportunities, supportive supervision and access to career development also emerged as important drivers of positive workplace experiences.
The Department of Health and Social Care says the findings will help shape future workforce policy, including plans for the first Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care and the government’s longer-term ambition to build a National Care Service.
The survey is intended to provide policymakers and employers with evidence on how best to improve recruitment, retention, workforce capacity and employment conditions across the sector.
With more than three million responses collected across the two survey waves, researchers believe the findings provide valuable insight into both the progress being made and the continuing challenges facing England’s adult social care workforce.
While the report suggests the sector is moving in a positive direction following the extraordinary pressures experienced during and after the pandemic, it also reinforces that reducing workplace stress, improving staffing levels and investing in career progression remain essential if providers are to retain the skilled workforce needed to meet growing demand for care.
