The Government has launched a new national recruitment campaign to help fill the 110,000 vacancies in the adult social care sector.
The Every Day is Different campaign, launched today by the Department of Health and Social Care, aims to show how rewarding careers in the sector can be.
The sector, which currently employs over 1.45 million people, has been hit hard by the combination of central Government cuts and an ageing population.
Between 1976 and 2016 there was a 3.8% increase in the proportion of people aged 65 and over, according to the Office for National Statistics. It is projected to continue to grow to nearly a quarter of the population by 2046.
The Local Government Association also estimates that adult social care is facing a £3.6bn funding gap by 2025.
These two factors have had a negative impact on staff recruitment and retention. According to the charity Skills for Care, around 390,000 people leave their jobs every year. That is over 1,000 every day.
The Government estimates that the care sector will need 650,000 additional workers by 2035 just to keep up with the rising numbers of people aged 65 and over.
The Government’s recruitment drive will run during February and March through social media, digital and local radio advertising, outdoor posters and events across England.
It will focus on attracting people aged 20 to 39 who are, research suggests, the most likely to consider a role in adult social care in the next 12 months.
‘Adult social care is too often seen as the ‘Cinderella service’ to our NHS. I’m determined to change this perception, starting with our hardworking social care workforce,’ said the minister of state for care Caroline Dinenage.
‘There is huge demand for more care professionals who work incredibly hard to look after the most vulnerable people in our society.
‘We must spread the word that careers in adult social care can be rewarding, varied and worthwhile. Care is a vocation where you can transform people’s lives and every day is different to the next.
‘Our national recruitment campaign will support care providers to recruit thousands more talented people. If you think a career in care could be for you, I urge you to look up the opportunities in your local area and become part of a vital and growing profession.’
