Dimensions responds to Skills For Care’s annual workforce report

Skills for Care’s latest annual workforce report shows the adult social care vacancy rate fell to 7% in 2024/25, down from a peak of 10.5% in 2021/22.

This figure equates to 111,000 vacant posts for care and support roles – a 12.4% drop from the previous year. The decrease is largely due to sustained international recruitment and fewer job opportunities in other sectors amid the UK’s wider economic challenges.

 

Responding to the report, Rachael Dodgson, Chief Executive of Dimensions, said:

“We’re glad to see this significant drop in adult social care vacancies across the UK. News of falling social care vacancies is always encouraging, but any drop in vacancies is likely to be temporary.

“Adult social care vacancies are like a moving train forced to lay down its own track ahead of it – pushed forward by the ageing population and the increasing number of people living with disabilities. 470,000 more posts will be needed by 2040.

Significant value

“All parts of the sector, as well as national government, need to play their part in paying the social care workforce as much as possible, and recognising the significant value their social care workforce brings.

“Dimensions has always strived to pay our support workers as much as possible. Over the last three years, our voluntary staff turnover has dropped from 29% to just 17% – well below the sector average of 24.7% noted in the report.

“We pay all our permanent employees at least 10p per hour over the National Living Wage. We’ve also taken steps to improve our working conditions.

“We strongly promote flexible working, and we fund care qualifications beyond the minimum where we can, to recognise support work as a skilled profession.

 

 

Awaiting the Fair Pay Agreement

“The government must intervene to raise pay across the sector. And it must require local authorities to ringfence social care pay.

“We and other large care providers eagerly await further details on the funded Fair Pay Agreement for the adult social care workforce, which we hope the government will announce in the autumn.”

 

Rachael also spoke to Care Home Professional.