New Skills for Care data highlights need for better pay and conditions for care workforce

Responding to the Skills for Care report on the size and structure of the adult social care workforce, Lucinda Allen, Policy Fellow at the Health Foundation, said:

‘Skills for Care’s report shows that challenges recruiting and retaining enough social care workers have eased since peaking in 2021. Workers from outside the UK continue to hold up the care system in England. The number of British workers in social care has steadily declined since Brexit and they now represent just 70.8% of roles compared to 84.6% in 2019/20. Given government measures to reduce immigration, the shrinking domestic workforce raises serious concerns that care providers could struggle to recruit enough workers in the years ahead.

‘Overseas workers are essential to the UK health and care system but it’s clear that recent international recruitment has not always been ethical. Today’s report shows the care sector has recruited heavily from WHO red list countries which face significant shortages of health and care workers. Our recent analysis also highlighted that social care workers from outside the UK face particularly high risks of poverty and exploitation.

‘Caring for older people and disabled people is vital and rewarding work but has long been underpaid and undervalued. Making jobs in social care more attractive and tackling high levels of poverty among workers requires significant improvements to pay, career progression and employment conditions. It’s vital that the government delivers on its plans for a ‘Fair Pay Agreement’ for social care.’

Notes to editors

1. Our analysis finds that 1 in 3 (34.9%) residential care workers born outside the UK lives in poverty, compared with around 1 in 10 (13.2%) residential care workers born in the UK.
2. The Spending Review provided for a potential £4bn extra for social care in 2028/29. The Health Foundation estimates an extra £3.4bn would be needed just to meet demand for publicly funded social care in England in 2028/29 and an additional £2.3bn could be needed to increase pay for the care workforce to at least NHS Agenda for Change Band 3.
3. Through its Employment Rights Bill, the government is currently legislating to establish three new social care bodies made up of employer and worker representatives – in England, Scotland and Wales – to negotiate national ‘Fair Pay Agreements’ for the sector. These agreements should set improved pay, terms and conditions for workers in social care.

Media contact

Jessica Clinkett
jessica.clinkett@health.org.uk
020 7664 4647