Skills for Care has launched its #PlanningForSuccess campaign to provide social care operators with information and resources to support effective workforce planning.
The latest campaign from Skills for Care, the strategic workforce development and planning body for social care in England, aims to guide employers in demystifying workforce planning and highlighting the benefits of planning for now and the future.
Workforce planning includes staff recruitment, retention, and development, managing safe staffing levels and contingency plans, and considering the growing and changing needs of those drawing on care and support.
The campaign will run across Skills for Care’s website, social media, and other communications channels with blogs and articles sharing expert insight and real-life case studies, as well as signposting further resources and other support.
The launch of this campaign comes following the release of Skills for Care’s State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report, which highlighted the current recruitment and retention challenges facing the sector. With the winter months fast approaching, the #PlanningForSuccess campaign will also touch on preparing for winter and contingency planning.
Oonagh Smyth, CEO of Skills for Care said: "This is an important time for the sector to be focusing on workforce planning and we’re happy to be able to provide support with this activity, which can seem quite daunting.
"Our most recent data highlights not only the current recruitment and retention challenges in the sector but also the need to start thinking now about planning for our future workforce.
"This includes developing our current staff to progress into future roles, keeping on top of the skills required to meet changing needs and wants of people drawing on care, and attracting more people – particularly younger people – into care roles to keep pace with future demand.
"We know that social care managers are facing a lot of pressure right now, and we hope this campaign will make the process of workforce planning easier and more effective for providers of all sizes. Getting the right process in place for this now will help to support providers with their future capacity and the changing nature of care delivery."
