Social Care Sector Responds to Latest Workforce Data
Sector leaders have offered a cautiously optimistic response to today’s publication of Skills for Care’s annual workforce data report, with many welcoming signs of progress whilst warning against complacency in the face of persistent fragility within the care sector.
The report reveals a 2.2% increase in total posts and a fall in vacancy rates to 7% – returning to pre-pandemic levels – yet sector leaders sharing their views with THE CARER have emphasised that such improvements mask deeper vulnerabilities, particularly around the sector’s heavy reliance on international recruitment and a worrying decline in domestic workforce numbers. With international recruitment having halved from 105,000 to 50,000 in the past year, and British nationals in the workforce falling by 30,000, leaders have stressed that whilst the data offers encouragement, the sector remains in a precarious position that demands urgent action on domestic recruitment, training, and sustainable workforce planning if it is to meet the projected need for 470,000 additional posts by 2040.
Vic Rayner, National Care Forum CEO commented:
“Skills for Care’s State of Care report highlights both the progress and persistent challenges facing the social care sector. It is encouraging to see workforce growth, falling vacancy rates, and reduced turnover; all of which deserve celebration. Yet the report also underlines the fragility of our care system; a system still struggling to recruit and retain the sustainable domestic workforce needed to meet the current and future demands of an ageing population.
“Much of the recent improvement has been driven by international recruitment, over this last year with 50,000 new international recruits joined our workforce. However, with tighter immigration restrictions now in place, the sector faces a stark reality: vacancy rates remain three times higher than the wider economy, tens of thousands of British workers leaving the sector each year, and demand only set to rise. Without urgent action to build capacity at home, the progress we see in this report risks being short‑lived.
“One of the clearest ways forward is to improve pay, terms and conditions for our dedicated workforce. The report shows that experienced care workers earn barely more than new care workers; this is unsustainable. The government’s Fair Pay Agreement offers a vital opportunity to invest in the workforce, but it must be backed by long‑term funding, robust infrastructure, and immediate interim measures.
“The government must work with the sector to deliver a sustainable workforce plan, that ensures we have the right people, with the right skills, in place for the future. The measures contained within the workforce strategy collectively created by a range of social care organisations, including Skills for Care, are a starting point the government can build upon. We need new future-focussed approaches that embrace the role of technology, that pay attention to the changing nature of care and support work, expertise of our care and support workforce and ultimately, what people need and want to live full and independent lives. The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget provides another opportunity to bring forward the resources to drive this work forward now, rather than waiting until a Fair Pay Agreement is in place.”
Kathryn Marsden OBE, Chief Executive of SCIE, said:
“Despite some good news about the care workforce in this report, we shouldn’t be complacent. The workforce has grown for the third consecutive year, and average vacancy and turnover rates have continued to fall. However, a detailed look at the underlying workforce pressures suggests breathing easy would be premature. A relentless focus on improving care workers’ pay, working conditions and career opportunities remains critical to stabilising the social care system.
“One driver of the workforce trends is international recruitment, but we cannot rely on international workers for the long term. As the report describes, the domestic workforce is still shrinking, and routes for international recruitment are being sealed off, reducing the pool of people available to work in the sector. Renewed attention to recruiting a home-grown workforce is urgently needed.
“Of great concern is that workers’ pay has not kept pace with increasing experience. The report highlights that care workers with five or more years of experience are only earning 7p more per hour than new starters. A recognised career path that recognises workers’ experience with better pay is sorely needed.
“Equally as concerning is the decline in workforce qualification levels, which raises questions about the sector’s capability for meeting the people’s social care needs. Increasingly, care workers require skills for delegated health tasks and caring for people with complex conditions. Investing in training and skills development must remain a top priority for all care employers, along with a pay structure that rewards increasing skills.
“We know that pay is a principal driver of reducing turnover and improving recruitment. The Fair Pay Agreement, due to be introduced under the Employment Rights Bill, is a welcome step towards recognising care as a skilled profession. That said, the £500 million announced in September to fund the Fair Pay Agreement translates to an estimated average increase of just 20p per hour, according to think tanks. This will not scratch the surface of being able to bring care worker pay in line with equivalent roles in the NHS, nor address the pay disparity in the sector.
“As the Fair Pay Agreement enters into its consultation phase and the Casey Commission begins to build in momentum, the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care, led by Skills for Care, should be seen as a guidebook for action. Delivering solutions for our workforce is not something we can continue to stray from; with 470,000 new posts needed by 2040, we need bold, funded solutions that will secure the future sustainability of the sector.
“The workforce is our sector’s beating heart. Every day, those working in care go above and beyond to provide the support that transforms lives, enabling people to live with greater independence, dignity and purpose. Their work sustains families and communities, eases pressure on our other public services and, as this report evidences, contributes £77.8 billion each year to the wider economy—more than the accommodation and food service industry.”
Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said:
“This report shows the scale of improvements that have been made to boost recruitment and retention across the adult social care sector while also highlighting the challenges that remain. The fragility of the social care sector is one of key issues facing the health and wellbeing of our population.
“Low pay and long hours have led to huge gaps in staffing, with more and more social care providers closing, feeding instability into a struggling system.
“A strong adult social care sector is crucial to solving the challenges facing the NHS and achieving the government’s ambitions – including preventing ill health, moving care closer to people’s homes and getting healthy patients out of hospital more quickly.
“We hope that the government’s forthcoming Casey Review of social care will build upon the progress that has already been made to tackle recruitment and retention challenges, including the government’s recent fair pay agreement.”
Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, said:
‘This report shows that, once again, the reduction in the vacancy rate in adult social care has come about through the recruitment of overseas rather than British staff, highlighting the crucial role they play in the running of adult social care services. Yet, with recent changes to visa rules, the government has effectively turned off the tap for international recruits without implementing sufficient measures to fill the gap with domestic workers. A promised fair pay agreement, while welcome, will not arrive until 2028 and the £500m budget for it is unlikely to allow the scale of pay increase that appears necessary if vacancies are to be filled.
‘Given the report’s forecast that 200,000 more care workers will be needed by 2030, there is little realistic hope that this demand will be met. We will need to rethink the wider funding of social care, develop a wider workforce strategy and consider how the workforce can be better deployed to support those who rely on it, particularly as demand will grow as the population ages.
‘Without a stable, well-supported workforce, the pressure on services will only intensify, and the quality and availability of care for people requiring support will be compromised.’
Nuffield Trust Deputy Director of Policy, Natasha Curry said:
“There are some positive signs in today’s findings, with the number of social care jobs continuing to increase and vacancies falling again last year from the 2021/22 peak.
“Although international recruitment declined steeply last year following immigration policy change, it still drove much of the growth in filled social care roles, with 50,000 people joining the workforce from abroad. As even tighter immigration restrictions kick in, the sector’s overreliance on overseas staff is looking increasingly risky, and firm plans to boost the domestic workforce won’t take effect until 2028/29 at the earliest.
“There are also still glaring issues with pay and working conditions, with care workers with over five years’ experience earning only 7p per hour more than those with under one year of experience. For wages, sick pay and pensions, social care does poorly compared to the NHS. But the Fair Pay Agreement aimed at enhancing pay, terms and conditions in social care won’t be implemented for over three years, supported by only a modest sum of money. Today’s report captures data from before the government increased Employer National Insurance, which is set to add almost £1bn to the care sector’s employer costs in 2025/26. With such tight finances, it’s likely that we’ll start to see a reversal in fortunes on workforce trends in the next years.
“It’s projected that social care will need 470 thousand more workers by 2040, so the Skills for Care findings underscore the need for rapid action and a comprehensive, government-backed workforce strategy that comes alongside wider reform for the sector.”
Director of Policy and Research at the Health Foundation, Hugh Alderwick, said:
‘The Skills for Care report paints a mixed picture for social care. The care workforce is growing and vacancies are falling, but vacancy rates are still around three times higher than in the wider economy and recent progress is fragile. The continuing decline in the number of British workers poses a major challenge given the government’s decision to end international recruitment of care workers.
‘Poor pay and conditions contribute to chronic workforce challenges in the sector and have an impact on people’s care. Today’s data show fewer care staff are getting the training and qualifications they need, and most of their employers don’t offer enhanced sick pay or pension contributions above the legal minimum. In March 2025, median hourly pay for care workers was 56p above the National Living Wage. Our analysis finds that 1 in 5 residential care workers live in poverty.
‘The government’s Employment Rights Bill and the planned Fair Pay Agreement for social care offer a vital opportunity to tackle these issues. If backed by investment from government and care providers, these measures could help improve the lives of the 1.5 million people employed in social care and the people they care for.’
Emily Hindle, Head of Policy at Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“This report shows that dementia training levels remain worryingly low for the social care workforce in England. Around two thirds of social care workers haven’t received any dementia training, meaning people living with dementia are going without the high-quality, personalised care they need and deserve.
“Social care helps people living with dementia who need extra support to live safe, more independent and fulfilling lives. It supports them with daily activities like washing, dressing, and eating, as well as helping them to do activities they enjoy. High-quality, evidence-based dementia training reduces the inappropriate use of antipsychotics and restraints and can even help lower the need for GP or hospital visits.
“Training is not only beneficial for those receiving care, but also for those providing it. Social care workers who receive training are more likely to stay in their roles, with retention improving as training levels increase. High-quality dementia training can also lower burnout, increase job satisfaction, and provide cost savings to the social care sector.
“It will take a society to beat dementia. That’s why we’re calling for a statutory duty to provide dementia training for all social care workers – so that everyone living with dementia receives the best possible care and support.”
