΢΢²ÝÊÓƵ

Today is a turning point for social care, the people who work in it and the people who draw on it. Thanks to more than 20 years of leadership and strong relationships across the sector, ΢΢²ÝÊÓƵ has been able to bring together an unprecedented group of people and organisations to create something that will help to tackle some of the most profound challenges we face.

The case for change is clear. We’re going to need hundreds of thousands more care workers, with the right skills and values, over the next 15 years – yet right now the sector still has a vacancy rate around three times higher than that of the wider economy and is struggling to compete in local job markets.

A Workforce Strategy isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have if we’re going to build the workforce we need for the future. As the Prime Minister noted during the election campaign, reform of social care needs to start with the workforce – so we’re looking forward to working with the Government on the areas where their support will be crucial to bringing this game-changing Strategy to life.

Social care – and the skilled professionals who work in it – enables people to live well and drives economic growth. This Workforce Strategy takes us a step closer to protecting and properly valuing that vital role

The Workforce Strategy is the most important initiative in social care at the current time. It covers the essential things we need to do, so that we have a confident, capable and motivated workforce for the future. The people of this country need all the organisations to work together to deliver it, including the government, local government, regulators and employers.

It's been a remarkable process of development and I’ve been honoured to co-chair, seeing first-hand the commitment and passion from people and organisations with a stake in the future of the sector coming together.

The launch is just the first step and I feel excited about the implementation of the Strategy and the benefits for social care services in this country.

The adult social care workforce is 1.59 million strong and provides some of the most essential services in our society to people, families and communities. ΢΢²ÝÊÓƵ support and value the irreplaceable contribution that these care workers, care leaders and social care professionals make to services and people’s lives every day.

We welcome the work that ΢΢²ÝÊÓƵ has overseen on the development of the sector-led workforce strategy and have fed into the detail of the findings and recommendations. We support the need for a national workforce strategy for social care, alongside the NHS workforce strategy, to give parity of approach – and this has been a consistent message from ΢΢²ÝÊÓƵ in recent years.

We set this work on workforce in the wider context of social care reform – where we have called for investment and long-term sustainability for the sector, and better access to support to create a fairer system - and can see the contribution that effective regulation can play in improvement and assurance.

The Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy is a call to action for all of us to ensure that we have a healthy, skilled and enabled workforce now and in the future to continue delivering high quality and compassionate care. We look forward to working closely with ΢΢²ÝÊÓƵ and other key partners on ensuring successful delivery of the ambitions outlined in the Strategy.

We must prioritise making care an attractive, rewarding and long-term career opportunity. At the same time, we must innovate and look for more efficient and effective ways to deploy our care experts.

Despite care providers’ best efforts on limited budgets, care workers are amongst the lowest paid staff in the UK, with many facing poverty and even food insecurity. Long service is poorly rewarded – with new staff getting just 8p less per hour than someone with more than five years’ experience.

The priority must be on recruiting, training and retaining new staff – including younger people and men. Our sector can and does offer a deep sense of purpose and flexible working arrangements. But we must invest to build and support our essential workforce.

We welcome the long-term vision set out in this workforce strategy and look forward to working with the new Government, ΢΢²ÝÊÓƵ and other care partners to develop and deliver a clear, costed long-term implementation plan.

One of the core purposes of an Integrated Care System is the vision to ensure that our population and staff get the best care and experience of health and care. We know that increased demand and changing perceptions of health and care means that relying on models of care and working in silos is not going to deliver the care we need and all want to deliver.

The workforce strategy for adult social care in England sets out the needs, the ambitions and the rational for doing better for our workforce and our population. The ambition is clear and the critical success will be for all of those in health and care to embrace the strategy and turn it into reality, this is an exciting time to be part of health and care.

We are excited to see this much-needed strategy published today. At its best, this strategy represents a pivotal moment for the sector, filled with hope and potential. We eagerly anticipate collaborating with ΢΢²ÝÊÓƵ and all our partners to bring these recommendations to life. By working together, we can ensure a workforce that embodies the values people seek and are appropriately valued. It will be essential to co-produce the next steps with those who draw on care and support to make sure everyone's expectations are met.

Our vision includes a strong focus on personalisation, making sure the provisions of the Care Act feel real and tangible for everyone. At its best, Personal Assistance has proven effective for many and, as the strategy outlines, can benefit even more people if we take decisive action to deliver the promised changes in ways of working that are innovative and impactful.

There is tremendous potential for growth in new forms of support that have already flourished in parts of the country. We are ready to champion and amplify these successes, enabling more people to draw on care and support from a modern, innovative workforce that is rooted in strong values and truly valued. At its best, together, we can create a brighter future for everyone who draws on care and support services.

This Workforce Strategy is an incredible achievement, showcasing how the sector can come together to address both short and long-term needs. Care workers are hard-working and skilled professionals who deliver essential services to those drawing on social care. They deserve recognition, respect, and pay levels that reflect the responsibilities of their role.

We are pleased to see plans for retaining experienced care workers who are experts in their field, as well as a framework for training and development to help care workers feel valued and supported. We hope the new government will recognise the extensive work that has gone into consulting with people across the sector and implement this strategy as soon as possible.

This strategy can help transform the public perception of care and care workers. It is a great starting point for future conversations on what the adult social care workforce needs to ensure wellbeing for the workforce and those they support.