National Care Awareness Survey 2023 In association with...
Sponsored by...
CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 02
Summary
03
Distribution
04
Key Findings
05 08
11
Section 2 Findings
18
Section 3 Findings
21
Association & Care Community Research
Care Representation
Conclusion
Demographics
Section 1 Findings The Care Industry
01
SUMMARY This report conveys the results of the National Care Awareness Survey 2023, amongst social care professionals across the UK. This survey was conducted in August/September 2023 by UK Care Week, in collaboration with The Care Workers' Charity, National Care Forum, National Care Association, Care Campaign for the Vulnerable, the Institute of Health and Social Care Management and Sona.
02
DISTRIBUTION In order to capture a good snapshot of the social care sector on a national scale, we teamed up with industry leading partners and put together a three phase marketing distribution plan.
PHASE 3
PHASE 1
PHASE 2
10/8/23 - 27/8/23
28/8/23 - 17/9/23
18/9/23 - 29/9/23
In house A/B tested emails sent,
Partners sent press release,
1-week and 2-week in house emails
follow-up reminder emails sent,
newsletter feature assets, email
and social media alert posts
press release published, website
templates, social media templates
scheduled and website banners
banners live, LinkedIn group
and graphics/banners to promote to
updated.
promotion, organic social media
their datasets.
promotion.
03
KEY FINDINGS The survey received responses from 712 dedicated care professionals. The collective feedback indicates that more respondents intend to continue working in the sector compared to 2022, reflecting a growing confidence in the sustainability of their businesses.
46% Respondents satisfied with their salary
76% Care
34%
of support from the sector and decreased satisfaction with their salary. This sentiment is further underscored by the rising number of respondents affected by the ongoing cost-
Think the public view care workers as skilled professionals
of-living crisis. It is evident that certain critical issues within the industry remain unaddressed. There is a pressing need for a sector, shedding light on their concerns and raising the profile of social care.
Feel confident in their ability to sustain their business over the next year
professionals who plan to stay in the care sector in the next 12-months
Nevertheless, care professionals express a diminished sense
platform that can serve as a voice for professionals in the
83%
59%
Feel supported by the social care system
90% Respondents affected by the cost-of-living crisis
04
DEMOGRAPHICS
Activities Coordinator 1.8%
Other 13.5%
Administration 7% Doctor 9.4%
Occupational Therapist 2%
Home Care Manager 11.3%
Care Home Worker 8.8%
The survey ensured full anonymity, allowing participants to voluntarily provide their email
Home Care Worker 7.8%
for entry into the prize draw if they so desired. Opening questions focused on gathering demographic information from participants,
Care Home Manager 19.7%
CEO/Director 10%
Nurse 4.7%
Social Worker 4.1%
including details such as job role, sector, type of organisation, influence over decisions, size of business, number of vacancies and occupied beds, in order to set the premise of follow-up questions.
Care Home Managers emerged as the most prevalent job title at 19.73% of respondents. This was followed by Home Care Managers, at 11.33%. CEOs/Directors constituted 9.96% of the surveyed professionals, while Doctors represented 9.38% of the survey respondents. Care Home Workers and Home Care Workers collectively accounted for a substantial portion 16.60%.
05
The majority of social care businesses are privately
What type of care setting?
funded. This is backed up by the results of this survey as 47.6% of respondents reported to work in the private care sector, compared to only 21.9% in the public care sector.
25% 20%
Sector split:
15%
Business Services 3.3% Technology Technology 2.5% Charity 10.8%
30%
2.5%
10% 5%
Private Care Sector 47.6%
Public Care Sector 21.9%
O th er
Both Public & Private Sector 13.9%
Re sid en tia lH om Ho e m e Nu C ar rs e in Ag g an en d cy Re sid en tia lH om e Nu rs in g Ho m e
0%
The 'other' category in the bar chart above consisted of mostly supported living and day care answers.
Notably, 13.9% of organisations are both public and private. These could be suppliers.
06
Just over 10% of respondents reported that their care business does not typically have any vacancies. This is up from 5% last year, conveying a slight improvement in care staffing.
Number of people in company:
251 - 500 5.5%
Over 500 8%
Under 10 12.7%
Typical number of vacancies: 60%
11 - 50 40.9%
0% 1.4%
1% - 25% 16.4%
30%
20%
10%
0%
75% - 99% 38% 50% - 75% 10.1%
84.3% of care businesses typically had at least one bed unoccupied (down from 90.2% last year). The majority of care businesses only had 25 - 50% of their beds occupied at any given point.
50%
40%
63.6% of care businesses were sized between 11-100 people.
100% 15.7%
25% - 50% 18.5%
101 - 250 10.2%
51 - 100 22.7%
Typical occupied beds:
0
1-5
5 - 10
10 - 20
20 - 30
30+
Care businesses would benefit from working together in such a way that when there is no bed availability in one establishment, they should refer to another.
07
SECTION 1 FINDINGS
The Care Industry
Job satisfaction in care roles How satisfied are you with your current salary package?
Satisfied 19.8%
Very dissatisfied 8.6%
Dissatisfied 20.8%
Somewhat satisfied 26.5% Neutral 24.2%
Only 46.3% of respondents felt satisfied with their salary package.
Activities Co-ordinators and Doctors reported the least satisfied with their salary packages. In contrast, CEO’s, Directors, Care Home Managers, Care Home Workers and Occupational Therapists reported the most satisfied with their salary packages.
08
How does each care role feel supported by the social care system?
The chart to the right shows that Social Workers and Nurses felt the most supported by the social care system. In contrast, CEO’s and Directors felt the least supported.
How each care role is affected by the cost-of-living crisis?
The chart to the left shows that respondents in CEO/Director positions along with Doctors are most affected by the cost-of-living crisis. In contrast, Social Workers along with Occupational Therapist and Care Home Worker roles were the least affected.
09
Forms of support needed from... Local Authority
Government Other 2.2%
Other 2.1%
Support with recruitment 12.2%
Additional time off 7.8%
Support with recruitment 12.3%
Additional time off 5.9%
More staff support 17.3%
Help with cost of living crisis 18.1%
Help with cost of living crisis 18.5%
Better services for the person(s) in your care 16.9%
More staff support 15.2%
More financial support 25%
More financial support 26.1% Better services for the person(s) in your care 20.3%
The most prevalent forms of support that respondents felt were necessary were general financial support, help with the cost-of-living crisis and better services for people in care. In a follow-up question asking respondents if any other forms of support were needed, the following answers were the most common: Improved communication within companies, agencies to encourage innovation, less bureaucracy and free mental health support.
10
Association & Care Community Research
SECTION 2 FINDINGS Section 2 focused on the care association and community questions. This section presented questions from industry leading care partners, namely, the National Care Association, The Care Workers' Charity, National Care Forum, the Institute of Health and Social Care Management and Care Campaign for the Vulnerable, along with our sponsor, Sona. Each organisation provided two questions and the majority of these were open ended to gauge people's thoughts, opinions and feelings. In collaboration with...
11
Questions set out by the Care Worker's Charity asked the following...
Do you think the public view care workers as skilled professionals?
What should be the main focus of the social care reform?
Financial support Innovation of care delivery Improving care quality Housing and home adaptations
33.7%
57.1%
9.2%
Technology and digitalisation Workforce training and wellbeing support Support for unpaid carers, and improved information and advice
Yes
No
Unsure
Other 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
"It's disheartening to see that more than half of respondents (57.1%) don’t think the public view care workers as skilled professionals and emphasises the urgent need for increased understanding and recognition of their role. Regarding social care reform, the diverse priorities underscore the complexity of the matter. The Care Workers’ Charity advocates for a comprehensive approach, with a focus on improved pay, professionalisation, training, wellbeing, and enhanced care quality. As we navigate these challenges, collaboration and a multifaceted approach remain key to building a resilient and compassionate care system, and wider recognition of the value that social care brings to the economy and society” - Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers' Charity
12
30%
Questions set out by the National Care Association asked the following... “These responses tell the story of a very uncertain sector lacking in confidence to deliver quality services based on the continued lack of national investment.
Not at all confident
Not so confident
How confident are you in your ability to sustain your business viability over the next year?
It is important to note that just over 50% of respondents cited the challenges of funding as a cause for concern, so if even 10% of those made the decision to exit the market the impact would be worrying for those trying to access care and support.
Somewhat confident
Very confident
Extremely confident 0%
Quality of care 16.9%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Other Recruitment & Retention 1.4% 19.8%
What are your three key areas of concern? Funding 19.8%
Recognition of residents 6.4%
Employee well-being 17.3%
Recognition of workers 18.3%
The most concerning issue highlighted remains the one on care workforce: the top three barriers to success in the sector revolved around the workforce. What is clear is that we need a confident and competent workforce to deliver services to those in society who are reliant on it and without the funding and investment in our sector we could see a shrinking market at a time when demographics indicate the need for care is on the increase”.
- Nadra Ahmed CBE, Executive Chairman National Care Association
13
Questions set out by the National Care Forum asked the following...
1)
2) Are you planning to stay in the care sector in the next 12months?
What training/skills development do you feel you need?
80%
The most common answers to this question 60%
revolved around care training, medical training, mental health and
40%
technology & IT skills. 20%
Additionally, management skills, financial support, health & safety and U nd ec id ed
im pr ov e
-I ft hi ng s
on pl an ni ng
M ay be
N o
-I 'm
Ye s
-I
pl an
to
le av in g
st ay
0%
human resource training were all mentioned.
1) “It is very interesting to see the results in this survey regarding intentions to stay in the care sector; 76% plan to stay, leaving 24% who may not stay. This compares favourably to the latest Skills for Care turnover rate of 28% but of course, it is essential that we can improve the retention of our current care workforce so that we can ensure consistency of highquality care & support for all the people we support. The NCF believes that this is an essential priority for all political parties to address urgently, see our must haves https://www.nationalcareforum.org.uk/voice/ncfpolicy-agenda/ - the importance of improving the pay, terms and conditions of the social care workforce.
2)
Again a interesting list - chimes with the need we hear from care workers re help to develop their management skills as one way of career progression and the issues re ICSs seeming very remote from social care in many places. Improving digital skills is also something our members have told us is a key area for L&D, which is why we have developed a Digital Leadership Programme which we are currently taking registrations for on our website. At our Managers Conference in March 2024 we will also be delivering a taster of the training programme and tickets are currently on sale for the Conference.” - Liz Jones, Director of Policy, National Care Forum
1414
Questions set out by the Care Campaign for the Vulnerable asked the following...
1)
Not sure 11.6% No 4.7%
Should safety monitoring be made mandatory in dementia care homes?
Yes 83.7%
2) What lessons should be learned from the COVID-19 public inquiry into the challenges faced by the care sector during the pandemic?
Effective delivery of information Prioritise care for the vulnerable elderly Listen to the elderly and ask what they need Continuous monitoring in care homes is essential
Answers included the following: Crisis management: Emergency plans, resource deployment including PPE and personnel training and sufficient staff Provide staff with wellbeing support Better direction of funding Artificial intelligence can speed up innovation
1)
“CCFTV is unsurprised by the overwhelming support for safety monitoring in dementia care homes. Any care environment where service users can't express their experiences should adopt safety monitoring for quality management. While we respect privacy concerns, prioritizing safety and well-being is crucial. Families, having seen incident footage, seldom raise concerns about monitoring. This survey reinforces the need for overt systems as families resort to hidden devices until providers address their call for transparency.
2)
Early Covid protections for Care Homes were lacking, with the government accepting care home resident deaths as a trade-off to shield the NHS, as revealed by the public inquiry. To prevent future neglect, adopting safety monitoring is crucial for remote supervision. Allowing a nominated family member to visit during pandemics is vital, as the idea of older individuals dying alone is unacceptable. The abandonment of older people during the pandemic, with no regulatory visits, inadequate staffing, and exclusion of family members, highlights the need for proactive measures like safety monitoring. The question remains: why wait until the next time?” - Jayne Connery, Director of Care Campaign For The Vulnerable
15
1) Questions set out by the Institute of Health and Social Management asked the following...
1)
2) Do you support the idea of a nationalised care services, similar to the NHS?
How do we improve representation of people who use care services?
Answers included the following: 70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes
No
Not sure
“It is interesting to see that although the percentage is still high at 60.98% (70% last year), there has been a reduction in people supporting the idea of a nationalised care service. The IHSCM are always keen to hear ideas as to what a nationalised care service could look like e.g., who and how would people pay for such a service, as well as advantages and disadvantages.
2)
People who use care service, both Offer technical assistance for those less familiar with individuals and unpaid carers need to be at the heart of any strategy, now technology. and in the future. We would endorse Collect insights from a broader range of service users. both “surveys and feedback” and Implement tools to amplify care service users' voices. “collaboration & Inclusivity” as key to Increase awareness of care services through that strategy. But it is also the wider widespread publicity. process of making that easier for Ensure nursing services cater to diverse groups, people using care services to feedback their experiences and increase public promoting fairness. awareness as to what social care is, Support user advocacy and allocate funds for that would need to be implemented.” representation. Use accessible surveys to gather input from care - Susan Jones, Director of Social Care service users. at the Institute of Health and Social Recognise care workers as skilled professionals with Care Management fair remuneration. Involve users, families, and providers in decisionmaking for an inclusive care system.
16
Questions set out by Sona asked the following... On average, how many days’ notice do you get ahead of your shift?
What is the primary way that you find out about open shifts, and claim them, within your organisation?
In person 11.4%
Other 7.5%
Phone call or text 23.1% Less than a week
Through an instant messaging app 8.6%
7 - 14 days
14 - 30 days
Through a third-party app 5.7%
Through a company app 14.1%
Over one month
Email 29.6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
The Care sector has experienced great changes when it comes to digitisation. The results of this study reinforce the need for further solutions that enable employees to achieve higher satisfaction levels and help organisations to improve their employee experience, more efficiently. It is eye-opening that almost one quarter of respondents receive their schedule with less than a week's notice. We all know how difficult it can be, juggling family commitments, caring for parents and loved ones, and the list goes on. All of this becomes much harder - sometimes impossible - if you don't know whether you will be at work in the coming days or not. Often, many providers struggle to fill overtime shifts, leading to high agency costs. At the same time, 8 in 10 respondents need to involve another person in order to claim available shifts. The right technology can give employees the option to claim shifts and see their up-to-date schedule, instantly, in one app, meaning they feel in control, while managers enjoy fewer admin tasks - Oli Johnson, Co-Founder at Sona
17
SECTION 3 FINDINGS
Care Representation
Section 3 looked at representation of the social care sector and delved into questions around government, community, charity, and association representation. The purpose was to find out people's views on how they're represented and what more could be done to better represent the care community. Rate the following on contributing importance to care sector change...
Councils and Government was most important to respondents at 67%. 93% of respondents feel that events are important for sector change.
18
How influenced do you feel you are by
Care group and community representation... Homecare Association held the biggest share of the respondent's membership, closely followed by National Care Association. This shows a
care communities or groups? 50%
40%
30%
20%
flip from last year’s results where National Care Association had the 10%
greatest share of respondents membership. Are you member of any of the following groups or communities? National Care Forum 7.8%
N ot at al li nfl ue N nc ot ed ve ry in flu So en m ce ew d ha ti nfl ue nc ed Ve ry in flu Ex en tr ce em d el y in flu en ce d
0%
National Care Association I'm not a member of any care
9.7%
Although care sector groups and
group or community 25.8%
communities showed to be important in care sector change, the majority Homecare Association 12.9%
of respondents were only somewhat influenced.
Other 9.1% NAPA 9.8% ADASS 3.7% Health & Social Care Club 3.3%
Care Managers Inner Circle 4.8%
Care England 8%
NACAS 5%
The 'other' category consisted predominantly of Skills for Care and local care associations.
19
Care group & community importance... Do you feel groups/communities are important in giving care workers a voice?
Thinking about the way the Care Sector is represented in society, how well would you say it is done in the following sectors?
70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Yes
No
Not sure
64% believe groups and communities are important in giving care workers a voice to be
The chart above shows, unsurprisingly, that the overall
listened to, for support, to be heard and seen,
representation of the care sector is not sufficient, with the
and to raise issues as a collective group -
central government and the media industry providing the
greater influence all together.
worst representation. On the other hand, respondents felt
C o m m u n it y
that charities best represented the care sector.
20
CONCLUSION “The National Care Awareness Survey continues to underscore both the challenges and opportunities faced by professionals in the social care sector. While there is a positive trend with an increased intention to remain in the sector, concerns about support, salary satisfaction, and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis are evident. Addressing the highlighted support needs, such as financial assistance, cost-of-living crisis aid, and improved mental health support, will be pivotal for enhancing the overall well-being of care professionals. Additionally, streamlining communication, reducing bureaucracy, and advancing innovation are identified as key areas for improvement. As the sector moves forward, the survey highlights the critical significance of continued collaboration, innovative approaches, and a shared dedication to establishing a supportive and empowering environment for those dedicated to the invaluable task of caring for others.” - UK Care Week "There is good news going into 2024, particularly learning that 76% of Care professionals plan to stay in the sector. That means there is a big opportunity for providers who are able to offer a great employee experience to retain staff and offer excellent continuity of care for residents. The right people are Social Care's greatest asset, and digital solutions that prioritise their well-being will offer a definite advantage when building a supportive working environment for them. It makes sense, then, that the top three barriers for success revolved around employees, too. Recruitment & retention, well-being, and offering recognition are all activities that can be improved with the use of the right technology, so managers and leaders can spend more time with their teams and the people they support. There are a lot of exciting developments in Social Care, leading to big leaps in employee and resident satisfaction. But there is still a lot more work to do in 2024. The results of this study reinforce the need for further solutions that enable employees to achieve higher satisfaction levels and help organisations to improve their employee experience, more efficiently." - Oli Johnson, Co-Founder at Sona