Tackling Recruitment and Retention Issues in Social Care

By David Ashton-Jones, Managing Director

The adult social care sector is crucial for the UK and a big contributor to the nation s economy adding an estimated £51 5 billion annually and employing around 1 5 million people There are also millions of people throughout the country that rely on this care to support them or their loved ones in their everyday lives

The sector as a whole has always faced challenges with recruitment with this being amplified in recent years with the Covid-19 pandemic, cost of living crisis and Brexit According to the most recent Skills for Care report the sector has around 165 000 job vacancies which is a 55% increase from 2020/2021

As leaders within the care industry we must do all we can to support our workforce and encourage more people into the sector

This includes us changing the tried and tested methods of recruitment and looking for new ways to attract talent into the sector and ensure they feel supported enough to then stay

Recruiting From Overseas

In February 2022 care workers were added to the shortage occupation list and the Health and Care worker visa route and at Homes

Together one of the ways we have tackled the industry and country wide skills shortages is by looking further afield for our team members

We have just been awarded a sponsor licence which will allow for us to recruit people from other countries more easily Following this we are in the final stages of recruiting four people from the Philippines for an initial three-year contact where we will also be providing all the necessary training as well as supporting with housing Widening the talent pool for potential applicants can support care teams and the people in their care

Listening To Feedback And Giving Back

We have over 130 colleagues at the Homes Together group and are always keen to gain feedback from them meaning that staff at all levels can share their thoughts and feedback We ensure that everyone feels they have the chance to raise any queries within their roles and we can address them as soon as possible This way of working with our staff has led to our decision to launch a completely new division which will ensure we can provide additional focus to support staff and help them navigate an ever-changing everchallenging care landscape

Our team are enthusiastic about serving the practical, social, and emotional needs of Service Users and always go above and beyond It s vital that we re appreciative and understanding of pressures staff may be facing and responding to their concerns in order that colleagues feel valued and supported in their roles

One of the things we did for our team at Christmas was to offer all of our staff members a Christmas hamper that included everything for a full Christmas lunch for a family of four taking some of the monetary pressure off the occasion Some may see it as a small gesture but we know from the constant conversations we have with staff that direct actions such as this are appreciated

Implementing Staff Training And Wellbeing Programmes

The wellbeing of our team and our service users is at the heart of everything we do It is essential to have a workforce that is supported with ongoing training so they can fulfil their role to the best of their abilities and help the people in their care live their life to the maximum

Each of our team members are given training and career development plans that include, health and safety training first aid awareness training food hygiene training and safeguarding challenging behaviour training,

Commitment and ambition are rewarded with tailored support packages training and opportunities for career progression Making the support package relevant to the individual rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach can also encourage a positive culture and appeal to potential applicants - highlighting that it is a career and not just a job

Looking after the team s mental health is just as important as training and development a study by GMB Union revealed that 69% of carers agreed that their work was causing them stress or impacting on their health, which was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic

At Homes Together we work hard to try and combat these stark statistics as part of our employee benefits package all of our team has access to the Bupa Employee Assistance programme, providing support and practical advice on issues that might be impacting their wellbeing These kinds of resources allow staff to have face-to-face telephone or online counselling and expert support on both personal and work-related issues when and if they need it

Looking To The Future

Care providers must ensure they are investing in their teams in training and in wellbeing support so their people feel valued, appreciated, and comfortable in their roles In order for us to be able to provide exceptional care now and for future generations we must ensure that nurture and support the talent within the sector and those looking to join