Skills for care have released a report: 'The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England'.
Dr Jane Townson OBE, CEO of the Homecare Association, commented on the state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England:
''The Homecare Association has long called for an adult social care workforce strategy and 10-year workforce plan, aligned with the NHS People Plan.
We are therefore delighted that Skills for Care is starting on this important work.
Demand for homecare is rising. Complexity of need is increasing. We must ensure we grow and develop the homecare workforce to meet changing needs. This includes addressing opportunities and challenges.
The homecare workforce is large and diverse. According to Skills for Care, there were 1.635 million filled posts in adult social care in England in 2022/23, of which 700,000 were in homecare. Roles include care workers, managers, nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, and other support staff.
Many homecare workers love their roles and the opportunity to improve lives. We need to improve their working lives too. They need greater security of hours and income; higher pay; better working conditions; opportunities for training and career progression; and manageable workloads.
We look forward to working with Skills for Care and other stakeholders to shape and implement a workforce strategy. Our collective aim is to ensure a sustainable, diverse, and skilled social care workforce for the future.”