"This latest report confirms what has been a worrying trend for some years, of persistently high staff turnover and vacancy rates in social care, adding further pressures onto already overstretched services."
Responding to Skills for Care’s annual report on the state of the adult social care sector and workforce, which says there are 165,000 vacancies in social care, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Our incredible social care staff have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide vital care and support to millions of people, especially during the pandemic and despite facing immense challenges.
“This latest report confirms what has been a worrying trend for some years, of persistently high staff turnover and vacancy rates in social care, adding further pressures onto already overstretched services.
“Ensuring that care workers are paid fairly for their work is central to making a career in care affordable and appealing, as well as ensuring people who draw on care are best able to live an equal life.
“This is why we have called on the Prime Minister to deliver on her pledge to provide £13 billion to tackle the crisis in adult social care. Of this, £3 billion is needed to improve care worker pay and help recruit and retain staff.”