Sadly, the UK has been hit by serious shortages of care workers for several years. This
doesn't only apply to NHS health and social care jobs, but also to the adult social care
sector. In this post, we'll look at the reasons for this and what can be done to improve the
situation for both people needing care and for those who look after them.
How severe are the healthcare staff shortages in the UK care sector?
The industry body Skills for Care reported in October 2022 that the number of care
vacancies had risen by an unprecedented 52% in just one year. Around 165,000 posts
had been left unfilled. This is especially worrying because the demand for carers has
By 2035, the number of additional care staff required is expected to rise to about 480,000.
Why are there staff shortages in the health and social care sector?
There are a few reasons why there have been general recruitment and retainment issues
in the care sector.
1. Low pay and fewer starters in the adult social care sector
Unfortunately, the median hourly rate for care staff in 2021/22 was just £9.50 (which is below
the real living wage). The average care worker receives a whole £1 less per hour than an
inexperienced NHS healthcare assistant.
This could be one of the reasons why there has been a significant drop in the starter rate
(from 37.3% in 2018/19 to only 30.8% in 2021/22). In combination with the recent cost of living crisis, the low pay has made caring roles increasingly unattractive.
2. Insecure working conditions
Almost a quarter (24%) of adult social carers were employed on zero-hours contracts. This
means that a surprisingly large proportion of care workers and healthcare assistants have
Not all work time is being paid for, either. For example, home care workers normally aren't
paid for the time spent travelling between clients. Also, agencies often only pay for
scheduled visits, but not for any unforeseen additional time with patients.
3. Ageing carers
According to Skills for Care, the average age of care staff in 2021/22 was 45 years, with
28% aged 55 and over. This means that more than a quarter of the workforce is likely to
retire within the next ten years. With fewer people replacing senior care workers, this could
create even more serious staffing issues in the near future.
4. Overseas recruitment difficulties
The end of free movement in January 2021 initially also decreased the supply of overseas
workers in the health and social care sector. The UK government only recently added
general caring roles to its shortage occupation list. However, to qualify, overseas workers
must earn at least £10.10 per hour, which many agencies and other UK employers simply
don't pay.
5. Mental and physical strain on care workers
The Nuffield Trust has been highlighting poor conditions for British care staff for years.
Similarly, the Chair of the Independent Care Group also recently highlighted the desperate
Many employees in social care are badly paid and overstretched. Under these
circumstances, their jobs can be both physically and mentally stressful.
6. Carers are increasingly leaving their roles
Because of these issues, it's much harder for employers to retain their care staff. The
Nuffield Trust estimated that around 152,000 (roughly 11%) left the social care sector in
So, what can be done about the shortages?
There are a few things that could be done to improve this situation in social care. Let's look at some of these below!
a) More funding for the social care sector
The Center for Global Development has called for the following actions:
● increased public spending on the UK care sector,
● improvement of difficult working conditions, and
● reforming the current commissioning model used by local authorities to increase
wages and improve general workplace conditions.
b) Further changes to the UK's shortage occupation list
At the moment, it's still difficult to recruit overseas staff for lower-skilled and lower-paid
caring roles. An overhaul of the necessary eligibility criteria for these carers could fill
some much-needed vacancies, e.g., in the adult social care sector.
c) More affordable and direct social care initiatives
Because of the flaws of the current UK care system, many people won't be able to get the
care they desperately need. At the same time, carers are being undervalued and underpaid.
This is where initiatives like CareDial come in. We're not an agency, so carers can set
their own wages, and we don't even take a cut of these. We're simply a great tool that helps
match up carers with suitable clients.
Our approach benefits both carers and patients. Why? Have a look at some of the perks
below:
Advantages for our care providers:
● Care workers set their own payment rates.
● Travelling between clients can be included in their fees.
● There's complete flexibility, depending on the carers’ availability.
● We provide training and continuing development opportunities.
● Joining our care workforce is quick and easy.
And these are just some of our advantages for carers!
Advantages for those who need care:
● Clients can choose from a wide range of qualified, fully-vetted and experienced
local carers.
● It's a more affordable option than more expensive private care homes or home care
solutions offered by local authorities.
● There are no hidden fees. It's free to search and manage all your carers and services on the platform.
For more information, read more about finding the right carer for you or your loved one.
Let’s try a better solution
Although the UK's health and social care sector is currently suffering from serious workforce
shortages, there are still ways to improve our care system.
For example, the staffing crisis could be tackled through more funding in the care sector, by
boosting international recruitment, setting a fairer national minimum wage, and supporting direct caring services like CareDial.
Created by carers for carers, our mission is to improve conditions for both the care workforce and for clients. Join us!
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