Recruitment crisis sees government give £162.5m to attract care workers

Care homes and home care providers are being given £162.5m by the government to help hire tens of thousands of care workers in response to the sector's recruitment crisis.

The new workforce retention and recruitment fund is available until the end of March 2022 and will also help retain existing workers by funding well-being support and overtime payments for care staff, as well as staff banks of people ready to work in social care.

The Department of Health and Social Care has said councils across England will be able to access the fund based on their need.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said “I want to thank care workers for their commitment and tireless efforts throughout the Covid-19 pandemic – we owe them a debt of gratitude which I am determined to repay through ambitious, sustainable social care reform that prioritises their skills and wellbeing.

“This dedicated funding will help local authorities bolster staff numbers and care workers to continue delivering high-quality care for everyone who needs it."

The fund comes on top of £388m infection control funding for adult social care announced in September to support testing and to boost flu and COVID-19 vaccines in care homes. Mr Javid said the government had provided almost £2bn throughout the pandemic towards infection control and testing.

“In the longer term, the Health and Social Care Levy will see a total of £5.4 billion invested in adult social care – including £500m for staff training to reduce staff turnover and enable carers to achieve recognised qualifications alongside their day-to-day work", Mr Javid added.

Care minister: £162.5m 'brings us closer to world-leading social care'

Minister for Care Gillian Keegan said: “The social care workforce has delivered high-quality care in the most challenging circumstances over the past 18 months – showing true dedication and professionalism – and I can’t thank them enough.

“This funding will help care providers recruit and retain staff, supporting both those already making a difference while bringing in new colleagues to help.

“Everyone deserves to be cared for with dignity and respect. This funding, as well as our wider reforms, will bring us closer to a world-leading social care system. The government has committed to bring forward white papers on adult social care reform and integration this year.”

Only £100 per care worker says ADASS

In response to the announcement, Cathie Williams, chief executive of ADASS, England's Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, said: "In the run up to what promises to be an incredibly difficult winter, it is important to know that we set out to Government the need for an additional £1.5bn to stabilise the supply of care and support, including the essential workforce, and £1.5bn to support unpaid carers.

“This additional funding is very welcome, but it is not sufficient and equates to around £100 per care worker.

“We await the promised Winter Plan and the upcoming Spending Review for further details of how the promises of long-term solutions will be met."

Dr Jane Townson, chief executive of Homecare Association echoed these comments stating: "Whilst the additional money announced will help, it amounts to only £100 per member of the care workforce. This will not be enough to address the poor pay, terms and conditions of employment which limit growth and development of workforce capacity to meet needs."

Care providers 'grappling with competition' from supermarkets etc

Dr Rhidian Hughes, chief executive of the Voluntary Organisations Disability Group (VODG), said: “This is a positive step towards alleviating some of the current workforce pressures facing voluntary sector providers of disability services and is to be welcomed. However, it’s crucial that the government does not now think that the recruitment and retention challenges is now over. Far from it."

The VODG, which supports over 100 charities, said: "We are hearing first-hand about the challenges in securing staff to deliver essential care" with voluntary sector care providers "grappling with high turnover rates, rising vacancy rates, and competition from other low pay sectors".

“We have already reached the point where charities are not taking on new services in some areas, and we could see charitable-run services becoming unviable if we cannot secure the workforce to deliver care.”

Dr Hughes is urging the government to “go beyond the short-term, quick-fix approach” and “act to provide sufficient funds" to enable state-funded services to be commissioned at levels that enable the workforce to be properly rewarded "long into the future”.