William Eichler 10 October 2024

International recruitment boosts social care workforce

International recruitment boosts social care workforce image
Image: Power pow / Shutterstock.com.

The adult social care workforce has grown thanks to carers from abroad, but the sector still faces ongoing domestic recruitment and retention challenges, a new study reveals.

The latest State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England report shows that the workforce grew to 1.71 million filled posts and vacancies fell to 131,000.

Published by Skills for Care, the report showed this was mainly due to the ‘record level’ of international recruitment in 2023/24.

Around 105,000 international recruits started caring roles in the independent sector during this period and the number of people in the workforce with a British nationality shrank by 30,000.

Over the two years since March 2022, 185,000 international recruits joined and the number of British workers fell by 70,000.

Skills for Care emphasised that this was not a case of international recruits taking jobs from British people as the number of vacancies across the sector remains high.

The report also found that the turnover rate for internationally recruited care workers was 30%, while the turnover rate for domestic recruits was 41.1%.

Skills for Care CEO, Professor Oonagh Smyth, said: ‘It’s clear from our data that international recruitment has been vital in helping the social care workforce grow, but we can’t count on this continuing as we’re starting to see less of it - and the global job market is a competitive one.

‘So, we need to stem the tide of British care workers who are leaving their jobs and we can only do that by improving the quality of care roles so the sector can be more competitive in local job markets.’

Check out: Why social care isn’t just a discharge service.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Library Duty Manager

Durham County Council
Grade 6 £28,142 - £31,022 Pro rata
There is an exciting opportunity to join our Libraries team as a Library Duty Manager. This is a part-time (16.5hrs) temporary position, managing Seah Seaham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Library Assistant

Durham County Council
Grade 4 £25,583 - £26,824 Pro-rata
Do you have a love of books? A passion for helping people and the community? We are looking for a part time friendly Library Assistant to help us de Stanley
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Front of House Officer

Durham County Council
Grade 4 £25,583 - £26,824 Pro-rata £13.26 per hour
WHAT IS INVOLVED?   We’re looking for enthusiastic and customer-focused individuals to join our team as Casual Front of House Officers at Gala Durham. Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Clerical Officer

Durham County Council
Grade 3 £25,185 - £25,989 Pro rata
WHAT IS INVOLVED   We are looking to appoint a part-time 18.5hr Clerical officer within Business Services, Temporary for 18 months.  You will provide Durham
Recuriter: Durham County Council

Cleaner

Durham County Council
£24,796 pro rata
Cleaner Grade 1 £24,796 pro rata 10 hours per week, term time only Permanent Required as soon as possible   The Governors of our fully inclusive, succ Consett
Recuriter: Durham County Council
Linkedin Banner