Fair care: A workforce strategy for social care

Article

Adult social care is an essential public service and a growing part of our economy. However, the social care system in England faces a workforce crisis which is set to grow in the coming years; by 2028, we estimate there will be a shortage of over 400,000 workers in social care.

If we are to solve the workforce crisis, we need to deliver a sustainable long-term funding settlement for social care and a transformation of the social care workforce model. This should be based on the establishment of decent pay and terms and conditions through sectoral collective bargaining, and a professionalisation of the social care workforce.

In this report, we examine the challenges facing the social care workforce in England, and the evidence of the growing social care workforce crisis. We show that the poor conditions of the workforce is not just bad for workers; it is bad for quality of care too, and it is undermining the very sustainability of the system. We identify the root causes of the care workforce crisis, and then set out a workforce strategy to tackle the care workforce crisis, and to ensure that we are able to provide high-quality care for those who need it and high-quality work for those who provide it.

Related items

  1. Newcastle street view of famous bridge and buildings

    The evolution of devolution: How the English devolution and community empowerment bill can go further

    The government’s early commitment to broadening and deepening devolution in England is very welcome, but the bill must be bold enough to make change that people can see and feel.
  2. A woman with long dark hair wearing a woolly hat puts her arm around her small son who is holding a teddybear. They're in a community centre in front of boxes of charitable donations

    Making the Child Poverty Strategy work for migrant families

    If we are serious about tackling child poverty, we cannot ignore the children of migrant families.
  3. Two young children run playing underneath a rainbow canopy in a park or garden

    It takes a village: Empowering families and communities to improve children's health

    How can we build the healthiest generation of children ever?