How Training and Development Can Help Ease the Recruitment and Retention Crisis

With the care industry not only struggling to recruit new staff, but also retain their existing workforce, pressure is mounting to find solutions to the growing staffing crisis Here, Rob Bright, CEO and Founder of Cloud Assess (www cloudassess co), explains why effective training and development mustn’t be overlooked when it comes to attracting, onboarding and retaining employees

The Current Crisis

The skills shortage in the care sector is a growing national crisis and is only set to intensify According to Skills for Care roughly 627 000 additional care staff will be needed by 2030/3 in order to meet demand

The recruitment challenge in the care sector is not a recent problem, although it is one which has been accelerated by the pandemic due to a rise in employees reconsidering career options and lockdown restrictions disrupting essential training However with the situation only set to worsen without intervention employers are under huge pressure to transform the way they train recruit and retain care workers to attract vital new employees and keep existing teams engaged

Using Training As A Solution

Engaging The Existing Workforce

Up until now too much focus has been placed on recruitment as the primary solution to the growing skills shortage This, of course, has its place However the importance of retaining current staff cannot be overlooked In order to do this, engaging the existing workforce has to be a priority

One effective tool for boosting engagement is upskilling Investing in employee development offers employers a tangible way to demonstrate their commitment to staff and their progression, which increases job satisfaction and loyalty Plus it offers an opportunity to fill skills gaps with talent that’s already within the business EFFICIENT ONBOARDING

For new employees prioritising effective training at the onboarding stage can have a hugely positive effect on the retention productivity and morale of new staff – all of which are vital for both care workers and for those they provide care to In fact employees who say they had exceptional onboarding experiences are 2 6 times more likely to be extremely satisfied in the workplace according to research carried out by Sapling

Those that invest time and resource into training new starters effectively from day one will reap the rewards with high-performing, efficient and happy staff something that is more vital now than ever before

Prioritising Effective Learning Strategies

However simply offering training is not enough It must be impactful if it is to make a real difference to an organisation and its people

In order to deliver effective training to care staff, it’s important to recognise the difference between how a desk-based worker effectively learns compared to a ‘deskless’ worker, like carers The learning needs to be engaging and have a lasting impact on both new and existing staff and the format of the training plays an important part in this

A hands-on approach to training and assessment is particularly crucial for deskless industries like health child and aged care where practical skills are best demonstrated, practiced, and observed in person This is supported by our research which found that 74% of employees in vocational industries, prefer a face-to-face or hybrid approach to learning with online methods found to be the least popular

Although e-learning tools are growing in popularity due to their perceived efficiency and remote approach they are not ideal for those working on the front-line This is because it is difficult to replicate the kind of sustained, multi-session and hands-on learning that is required to learn practical skills when working alone on a computer

To avoid this, employers should opt for methods which encourage staff to demonstrate they ve absorbed the information and are incorporating it into their day-to-day work

Delivering Effective Training With Limited Resources

Clearly employers cannot afford to overlook the importance of effective employee training and development However for shortstaffed industries this can seem daunting

One solution for time-poor organisations is to implement a strategy which amalgamates the benefits of both face-to-face and online learning This will allow employers to take a digital approach to the coaching, planning, training, measuring and assessment aspects of skills development freeing up valuable time and resources which can be spent on delivering in-person training and avoiding staff burnout

The 70:20:10 model is a good rule of thumb for employers who are implementing this type of training strategy The rule suggests that 70% of learning is through experience, meaning practical hands-on learning 20% is through social learning for example a buddy system and 10% is via e-earning

Supporting in-person training with digital tools can also boost productivity improve compliance and ensure consistency which in turn helps the business thrive

Summary

At almost 11% care worker vacancy rates in 2021/22 were double the national average and showing no sign of slowing according to Skills For Care However a careful re-evaluation of how employees are trained forms an important part of the solution Executed well, employee training can help build more productive stronger and happier teams which are equipped to provide the best care possible

The Eden Alternative is fundamentally a modern philosophy of which at its core is designed to enhance the wellbeing of residents and staff in care settings, the quality of their lived experience and their fulfilment

It aims to build a truly positive culture; underpinned by close partnership working between residents the team and family members

It is also designed to empower members of the care team to think innovatively about practice to enhance their fulfilment and strengthen retention

It is worth spending 10 minutes to see the Eden Alternative in practice https://youtu be/qK3vTbckZMw

How does it work? It provides training to Care Homes management and staff and encourages Homes to train their own ‘in house to run the programme if they wish

The philosophy is designed to develop a positive and vibrant culture empower members in developing a care partnership and help c A series of relevant Eden Video clips d An Eden course questionnaire to assist learning e Development of an individualised project that candidates work on to develop innovative ideas

The training sessions can be completed whilst at work or from home Courses dates and frequency The 6-week course runs continuously and a new one starts at the beginning of each alternate month e g March May July etc Each weekly online session runs for 1 hour

An Eden “Train the Trainer” course, refresher courses and 1 day introduction courses will typically run after the Eden Associate course

Validation of Care Services Care Homes and community care services are validated by an annual online process the cost of which is covered by an annual subscription Quality Assurance Eden trainers are committed, skilled and experienced trainers, and deliver training in person or online externally or in house Training is monitored through a variety of methods including Associate training feedback which is regularly obtained and appraised Eden Trainers meet regularly to update course and material innovation

In recognition of the progress achieved by the care provision an award of Platinum Gold, Silver or Bronze can be awarded

Eden UK team The Eden UK team comprises Geoffrey Cox, CEO, Margot Whittaker, Director, Sam Bailey Kelly Boweren Kathy Smith The office is based at 11 Plantation Terrace Dawlish Devon EX7 9DS - 01626 868192 or 07483359472

Care providers across the country have unfortunately become accustomed to workforce shortages As a recent report on health and social care workforce from the Health and Social Care Committee showed 95% of care providers are struggling to recruit staff and 75% of providers are finding it hard to retain their existing workforce This is compounded by the fact that these roles are typically paid less than 80% of the wider economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has further affected the sector s ability to recruit and retain staff – during this time the working conditions of social care workers suffered as they battled with long hours restrictive working conditions and an increased risk to their health And on the ground these staff shortages can lead to increased frontline pressures burnout and job dissatisfaction They can also impact the quality of individual care – in October 2022, the CQC’s State of Care report said that in the first three months of 2022 2 2 million hours of homecare could not be delivered because of insufficient workforce capacity So how can we encourage more people to pursue what can be an extremely rewarding career in care and stay in the sector?

Apprenticeships

By Steve Sawyer, Managing Director, Access Health, Support and Care

care we need to incentivise careers in the sector and create a positive environment for people to work in Doing so will improve job satisfaction – a huge factor in the departure of many health and social care workers as reported by the Nuffield Trust

At the Access Group one of the ways that we are promoting career pathways in social care is through the government’s Apprenticeship Levy Scheme, which aims to encourage work-based training in particular sectors Working with 75 000 customers across commercial and non-profit sectors we invest the money into our own apprenticeship schemes as well as sharing it with organisations from across health and care, supporting them to recover from the impact of the pandemic

The Health Support and Care division (HSC) of the company has invested £100 000 since March 2022 alleviating workforce pressures by enabling 86 health and social care apprenticeships across the country Benefactors of the financial support include residential care providers Burrow Down Support and Home2Home with Care; and domiciliary care provider Hamble Valley Care alongside a range of other care providers using the additional resource to enhance skills of new and existing staff thus providing them with more opportunities to advance their careers

As we see it apprenticeships play a crucial role in improving job satisfaction and ultimately staff retention, with unhappy and unfulfilled staff more likely to move into other roles They also motivate the next generation of talent to pursue a career in care encouraged by the support and opportunity to upskill in the sector

Admittedly apprenticeship schemes aren’t a silver bullet to the ever-growing workforce crisis but they are a positive step in the right direction to support a sector that we all value and depend on More information can be found on The Access Group s website at www theaccessgroup com