The social care sector is always in flux - changing to reflect the needs of society. The ageing population, and the dependency of many families on social care is contributing to a growing need for social care workers, yet recent budget announcements expose a growing funding gap. Coupled with the on-going problems recruiting and retaining temporary and permanent workers, heads of social services are understandably concerned by the future.
We’ve analysed the changing temporary social care workforce, and pulled out several key trends regarding pay and employment. Here is what heads of social services need to be aware of:
- Increased demand for temporary qualified social workers (TQSWs)
The growing need for social care means an increased demand for qualified workers. To meet this demand, social care departments increasingly require the support of temporary workers, who play a vital role in delivering front line services efficiently, bringing skills, experience and capability that can be tapped into on a short-term and often unplanned basis.
Our Social Care Index has shown that in the 2013/14 financial year, there was a 14% increase in the number of TQSWs on assignment. With high demand from local authorities and a low supply of candidates, TQSWs are becoming more demanding about pay and working conditions.
- Increased demand by TQSWs for a different method of employment
Another trend sees the vast majority (88%) of TQSWs requesting to be paid via an umbrella organisation or be set up as a limited company as opposed to a traditional ‘contract of service’ temporary worker. This means that they are taking greater responsibility for their earning potential and demanding higher rates of pay.
- Increased mobility of TQSWs
Linked to increased hourly pay, another key trend has seen TQSWs become increasingly mobile. Whereas in the past, workers might have sought employment close to home, the newly mobile worker will travel to take advantage of better pay offered outside their home area.
Collectively, these three trends show a 3% increase in pay rates for TQSWs in the year, and are set to continue to rise. This increase in pay rate isn’t welcome news for local authorities with tightening budgets because the gap between permanent and temporary pay rates is widening. However, the good news is that escalating pay rates can be better managed and controlled through greater collaboration.
For example, our Social Care OnDemand forums in the South West have brought neighbouring local authorities and recruitment agencies together on a quarterly basis to discuss shared challenges and create change. Through open dialogue, authorities have been able to understand each other’s approach to pay and benefits, remove competitive buying behaviour and better control pay rate, reducing the pay rate by 1.9% between January and June 2014.
Additionally, our analysis shows TQSWs aren’t purely interested in pay rates. Local authorities must do more to clearly define their temporary roles to both recruitment agencies and potential candidates. Plus, promoting other ‘value-added benefits’ such as access to training or mentoring, paid for travel, free parking or accommodation is essential to shift focus from the pay rate.
It is without question that to address escalating pay rates in the long-term, there must also be investment in newly qualified social workers. With budget constraints, this role should be handled through a long-term commitment to a collaborative approach between local authorities, recruitment agencies, managed services providers and the education sector.
Local authorities will need to show flexibility to stay one step ahead of the game in the changing social care sector. The increasing demands of TQSWs are not going away. In fact, they will only increase with the challenges presented by an ageing workforce and the on-going pressures in social care if action isn’t taken. The most successful authorities will be those that embrace collaboration, are open and quick to adapt to a rapidly changing candidate marketplace and who embrace a flexible workforce of permanent and temporary workers.
Jamie Eaton is head of marketing and insight at Comensura.