Going beyond the pay

We’re calling for more than better pay; for the social care workforce crisis to improve we must do more as a sector. Dimensions’ social care workforce manifesto recommends, together as a sector, we recommend…

Establish a Skills Framework

A proposed Care and Support Work Skills Framework, administered by SkillsforCare, would recognize skilled support worker roles and reduce the need for retraining during TUPEs. This framework can be utilized by all 23,000 social care providers in the UK.

Implementation is our main concern. The focus should include entry-level and registered manager skills. Strong local leadership is crucial for good performance in care settings, and we support this view. By providing excellent leadership training and fair pay, the sector can develop leaders and attract talent from other industries.

In addition to care-specific skills, digital skills are vital for the health and social care workforce. Many routine activities now require digital literacy, such as updating schedules, logging vaccination records, online learning, and managing support records on apps.

The 2022 social care white paper acknowledged the importance of developing digital literacy in the workforce. We eagerly await further information on supporting initiatives.

Prepare people for work

This highlights a broader concern about the UK economy. The employment rate for working age adults is nearing record levels, with three quarters currently working. However, what about the quarter that remains unemployed? It is a striking societal failure that so many individuals are unable, unwilling, or unwanted in the workforce.

Work readiness programmes

Where is the vocational training in schools? Where are the high quality work readiness programmes for adults who would like to enter the workforce, especially in shortage or ‘key’ occupations? Where are the incentives for employers to recruit people from non-work backgrounds?

At Dimensions, very few of the people who apply to work with us through job centres make it through the process. Often they haven’t the right values, or attitude. The right people aren’t easy to find with the pay being offered.

Employing more disabled people

Despite the government’s stated aim to halve the disability employment gap, figures have barely budged even at a time when employers across all sectors are short of workers.

There’s an extra 693,000 working age disabled adults in a year. And believe it or not, an extra 2m since 2010.

Less than 6% of working-age adults with learning disabilities are in employment, but Dimensions has found that 65% want to work. It is only a little better for autistic people.

Apprenticeships

We urge the Government to remove restrictions on apprenticeship funding.

These rules hinder the progress of talented individuals who cannot afford the expensive diploma alternative.

To address labor shortages and meet national goals of minimising immigration, our education and training system must prioritise lifelong vocational learning. This is crucial and will have a greater impact than a recruitment campaign led by the Government.

Target integrated health and care

Imagine a national workforce of highly trained care workers, ready to support those with complex health needs out of hospital promptly. This would reduce bed blocking, ambulance queues, burnout, and improve person-centered care.

To achieve this, the government needs to adopt a bold vision regarding pay, training, and the wider workforce. Let’s make integrated healthcare a reality.

Undertake an annual workforce plan for social care

It is extraordinary to us that government is resisting formal workforce planning in social care. How else can it make good decisions?

Once government has grasped the nettle of workforce funding and training as above, formal workforce planning can become a constructive tool to ensure that we sustain a health and social care workforce to be proud of.