We have previously written about the challenges faced by the social care workforce in 2022 in terms of the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff, particularly in the post Brexit landscape.
Researchers from the University of Warwick have been looking further into these issues, and their preliminary views suggest that what staff in this sector really want is better pay and conditions.
In particular, there is a big shortage of qualified nurses, and better pay would attract more nurses into the sector. The new National Insurance Health and Social Care Levy has recently come into force but only a very small proportion of that will go towards the social care sector, with most of it being earmarked for the NHS.
Social care staff also report very difficult and strenuous tiring workloads. This has been made worse by the after effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with social care staff telling researchers that they felt they were living by different rules from the rest of the general population.
In addition to the above, The Observer reported last week that migrant social care workers, who make up a significant proportion of the social work workforce are often paying illegal high fees to recruitment agencies. Such fees effectively leave the workers in debt bondage or modern slavery. This no doubt adds to the further strains the sector is under.
It seems inevitable that such stresses and strain the sector is under will lead to further statutory investigations and civil claims.
Written by Associate, Jennifer Johnston
BLM HEALTH AND CARE BLOG 