Adult social care sector still reliant on overseas staff

Commenting on the Skills for Care report The state of the adult social care sector and workforce, Simon Bottery, Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund, said:

‘This report shows that, once again, the reduction in the vacancy rate in adult social care has come about through the recruitment of overseas rather than British staff, highlighting the crucial role they play in the running of adult social care services. Yet, with recent changes to visa rules, the government has effectively turned off the tap for international recruits without implementing sufficient measures to fill the gap with domestic workers. A promised fair pay agreement, while welcome, will not arrive until 2028 and the £500m budget for it is unlikely to allow the scale of pay increase that appears necessary if vacancies are to be filled.  

‘Given the report’s forecast that 200,000 more care workers will be needed by 2030, there is little realistic hope that this demand will be met. We will need to rethink the wider funding of social care, develop a wider workforce strategy and consider how the workforce can be better deployed to support those who rely on it, particularly as demand will grow as the population ages.  

‘Without a stable, well-supported workforce, the pressure on services will only intensify, and the quality and availability of care for people requiring support will be compromised.’

Notes to editors

For further information, please contact The King's Fund media team on 020 7307 2585 or [email protected].

The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve people's health. Our vision is a world where everyone can live a healthy life. Our mission is to inspire hope and build confidence for positive change. We achieve this through expert insights and original research, developing leaders and their organisations, convening, and strategic, collaborative partnerships.