A Care England poll has found more than 95 per cent of its members are still struggling to recruit staff despite government support.
The member survey is the second this quarter by England’s largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care.
When asked in the first survey if members were struggling to recruit staff, prior to the implementation of Covid vaccination as a condition of deployment, 100 per cent of responses indicated that they were.
The latest survey indicated a less than five per cent reduction in this struggle despite the introduction of a greater degree of centralised support, including £300m to help providers recruit and retain staff.
The second survey indicated that the reasons for difficulties around staff recruitment included: lack of available workforce for providers to recruit from; negative press around the sector leading to a poor perception of social care; and low rates of pay and there are no rewards or bonuses for care staff to incentivise work.
It also found providers are struggling with high competition with other sectors, such as retail and hospitality; and insufficient funding from government or local authorities to help recruitment into social care.
“A stable social care sector is the bedrock of the NHS; it is however evident that the challenges in recruitment remain insurmountable,” said Care England chief executive Martin Green.
“As a critical friend to government, we want to work with them to ensure that any available funds reach the frontline and don’t get caught up in a tangle of bureaucracy or siphoned off. Our workforce is our best resource and we need to treasure it at all costs,” he added.
