The Government has faced calls for higher pay and better conditions for social care workers as the numbers of British recruits has continued to fall.

Skills for Care’s annual workforce data showed, while vacancy rates have returned to pre-Covid levels, the number of international recruits halved from 105,000 in 2023/24 to 50,000 2024/25.

More concerningly, with the Government having enforced a ban on international workers from this month, the number of British workers fell by 3%, or 30,000, and dropped since 2020/2021 by 85,000 (7%).

These challenging long-term trends are further highlighted by projections social care will need around 470,000 new posts – an increase of 27% – by 2040 to keep up with the projected growth in the population over the age of 65.

Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said the statistics illustrated a sector that was ‘chronically underfunded’ and called for a long-term workforce strategy, including a ‘fully funded Fair Pay Agreement, alongside a focus on training, development, and career progression, and recognition of local government’s crucial role in the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body’.

Vic Rayner, chief executive of the National Care Forum, said: ‘This picture will only improve if the Government takes strong and purposeful action to show care workers they are valued and appreciated – this means fully funding any Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care. Government should also ensure that there is adequate funding in the interim and that commissioning practice is conducive to improving the pay of care workers and attracting more domestic workers.’

Nuffield Trust fellow Camille Oung said there was ‘a strong case for delivering better terms and conditions for care workers to attract and retain more homegrown staff’ but warned Employment Rights Bill measures were ‘both some way off, and not clearly funded’.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘This Government has hit the ground running on social care reform – strengthening care careers through a newly expanded career structure and providing more opportunities for learning and development.

‘We are also introducing the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care workers in addition to our increase to the National Living Wage – worth £1,400 more a year for full-time workers.

‘These steps will help boost domestic recruitment and retention and deliver a National Care Service that is fit for the future. But we know there is more to do, and Baroness Casey has started her work on the independent commission into adult social care reform.’

Lee Peart is editor of Hemming Group’s Healthcare Management magazine.

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