Skills for Care has released a new report on the size and structure of the adult social care workforce in England

The report provides information on the adult social care workforce; this includes its size, composition, recruitment, retention, international recruitment, and economic statistics.

Key findings:

• The total number of adult social care posts was 1.84m in 2023/24 (an increase of 2.7% from 2022/23).
• Between 2022/23 and 2023/24 the number of posts that were filled increased by 4.2% to 1.705m (an increase of 70,000 filled posts).
• The number of vacant posts decreased by 22,000 vacant posts (-14%) to 131,000 over the same period.
• In the independent sector domiciliary care services, the number of filled posts increased significantly in 2023/24, rising by 7.9% (43,000 posts).
• The vacancy rate in domiciliary care decreased slightly from 12.9% in 2022/23 to 11.9% in 2023/24. However, this rate remains higher compared to care homes. Despite the slight decrease, the vacancy rate in domiciliary care (11.9%) is still higher than the overall adult social care sector average of 8.3% in 2023/24.
• International recruitment was the main driver behind the increase in filled posts and the decrease in vacant posts. An estimated 105,000 people arrived in the UK in 2023/24 and started direct care providing roles in the independent sector. This was an increase of 25,000 from 2022/23, when the estimated number was 80,000.
• The number of posts filled by people with a British nationality decreased by 30,000 in 2023/24 (a decrease of 3%), after decreasing by 40,000 in 2022/23

Find the full report on the Skills for Care website.

Our CEO, Dr Jane Townson OBE, commented on the report:

“We're happy to see the homecare workforce growing, but the high vacancy rate shows how hard it is to find and retain care workers. International recruitment has been helpful in filling gaps but we must focus on attracting UK talent.

Recent changes to immigration rules for care workers are concerning, as they are affecting our ability to hire workers from overseas. The last government effectively blocked international recruitment without investing in care in the UK. It is unclear how the sector will meet the future demand for care and support for older and disabled people.

We call on policymakers to prioritise investment in the homecare workforce. We must ensure fair pay and conditions that reflect the skilled nature of the work.

Homecare plays a vital role in enabling us all to live well at home and flourish in our communities. Investing in homecare helps to enhance wellbeing; increase healthy life expectancy; reduce pressure on the NHS; save money for the health and care system; and support economic growth.” 

Read our full press release here.