New report highlights adult social care growth despite recruitment challenges
Skills For Care’s annual ‘State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England’ report show the sector continued to grow in 2024/25, contributing £77.8 billion to the economy. However, new data highlights ongoing challenges in domestic recruitment and workforce sustainability. The report shows that the total number of posts in adult social care […]
The end of overseas recruitment in the care sector: What you need to know
By Emma Brooksbank, Partner at Freeths Overseas workers make up a significant portion of staff in the Care Sector but that is coming to an end. The Government’s new immigration rules which came into effect on 22 July have ended the overseas recruitment of care workers. The aim is to bring all care sector recruitment […]
NCF underlines need for ‘resilient social care workforce’ in light of Skills for Care report
The National Care Forum (NCF) has responded to the publication of the Skills for Care size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2024/25 report. The report covers these key points: Vic Rayner, CEO of NCF, stated: “We should make no mistake that the 2025 Size and Structure report from Skills for […]
UK immigration reforms land this week: What does this mean for social care?
By Michelle Holmes, MD of immigration consultancy Holmes & Partners On 22nd July, the UK government rolled out several significant immigration reforms that will reshape how social care organisations hire overseas talent. The changes include: These reforms form part of the Home Office’s broader strategy to “restore control” of the immigration system, following a near 40% […]
Building a future for the care workforce
By Ruth Mabika, Operations Director & Co-founder, S&P Care Services The adult social care workforce in the UK is facing an unprecedented crisis. Years of underfunding, increased care complexity, and burnout among staff have resulted in a large number of job vacancies and a high turnover rate, which are spreading providers thin. Brexit and more recent […]
When care providers have to turn people away, we all have a serious problem
According to the Hft & Care England report, 3 in 10 care providers have had to turn down new admissions due to staff shortages. This isn’t just about staffing – it’s a critical issue affecting the people who need care the most. And, with the reliance on agency staff surging, many care providers are now […]
INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Harbour – The safer recruitment solution for social care
For over 17 years, Harbour has partnered with businesses of all sizes, including many in the healthcare sector, to build recruitment and onboarding systems that tackle real-world hiring challenges, such as strict compliance, high applicant volumes and tight budgets. Our approach is simple: deliver powerful technology that’s easy to use, highly configurable and always focused on business […]
5 reasons NHS job opportunities are set to increase
The current Labour government has pledged to build an NHS that is ‘fit for the future’, promising to cut waiting times, offer 40,000 more appointments per week, bring back the family doctor and more. Recent government publications state that Labour has already invested £22 billion in the NHS, helping to support both medical staff and patients. Our NHS […]
The impact of employed staff to deliver compassionate social care
With ongoing staff recruitment and retention challenges, social care providers increasingly rely on agencies to bridge critical staffing gaps. Paul O’Rourke, managing director of the Next Stage group, explores how this approach impacts delivering compassionate, empathetic care… With over a quarter of care workers in the independent sector expected to leave their roles in 2023-2024, retaining skilled and […]
How we solve the care sector’s staffing crisis by investing in our people
In the wake of the 2024 annual State of Adult Social Care report, Paul O’Rourke, Managing Director of Next Stage, emphasises the crucial need to address high staff turnover in the adult social care industry to invest in both individual employees and improve the quality of care they provide… In a sector where continuity of care […]