Filled posts in social care fall by 3% for first time ever

The number of filled posts in adult social care has decreased by around three per cent (50,000) between 2020/21 and 2021/22 for the first time ever (with records dating back to 2012/13) according to an annual report.

The report published by Skills for Care also found over the same period, the number of vacant posts has increased by 55,000 (52 per cent) across all direct care roles, suggesting the decrease in filled posts is a result of the sector’s ongoing recruitment and retention difficulties rather than a decrease in demand for care.

The total number of posts in adult social care in England, including filled posts and staff vacancies, was 1.79m as at 2021/22 an increase of 0.3 per cent from the previous year. The number of filled posts was estimated at 1.62 million and the number of vacant posts was around 165,000.

Oonagh Smyth, chief executive of Skills for Care says: “Through our monthly tracking data, we already knew the number of filled posts had been decreasing since the height of the pandemic, and now our annual report has confirmed that filled posts have decreased for the first time on record.

“This highlights the recruitment and retention challenges social care employers are facing right now and is not a decrease in demand for care services."

The report warns if the social care workforce grows proportionally to the projected number of people aged 65 and over then the number of posts will need to increase by around 480,000 posts to around 2.27 million by 2035.

In residential services, the number of filled posts fell by 13,000 in care homes and 15,000 in nursing homes. This is in line with data showing a greater challenge in filling nursing roles.

Meanwhile, the number of filled posts in domiciliary care services fell by 19,000, highlighting a real challenge with recruitment and retention for these roles despite an increase in demand for home care.

The data also suggests it was independent care providers who have struggled most with recruitment and retention challenges, compared to local authorities.

Between 2020/21 and 2021/22, the majority of the fall in filled posts was in the independent sector (down by 45,000) while filled posts in local authorities remained broadly the same.

The study also found the total number of people working in adult social care in 2021/22 was estimated at 1.5 million, which is 4.5 per cent of the total workforce in England. This compares to 1.4 million people working in the NHS.

The decrease in filled posts and corresponding increase in vacancies across adult social care comes as the wider economy has reopened following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ms Smyth added: “Adult social care workers are passionate and skilled professionals working across complex roles, something which was ever more evident through the peak of the pandemic.

"Skills for Care is working hard with all our partners to raise the profile of social care in communities and the opportunities available to people with the right qualities to build a rewarding, lifelong career in adult social care.”

To read the Skills for Care annual report, click here

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