By the

sector,
for the
sector
Adult social care workforce

Recruitment
and retention
strategy
2014 - 2017

Prepared by Skills for Care on behalf of the

Department of Healths recruitment and retention group

On 10 June 2014 Skills for Care merged with the National

Skills Academy for Social Care to maximise the impact of
our combined knowledge and expertise.

Contents
03

Ministerial foreword

04

SectionOne: Introduction
- Who is the strategy for and how should it be used?
- How will policy developments inform this refreshed strategy?

10

SectionTwo: What has the sector achieved?

14

SectionThree: Our future needs

18

SectionFour: The impact for the sector - what you are saying

20

SectionFive: Taking action and priorities for 2014

21

Priorities
- Priority one
- Priority two
- Priority three

36

SectionSix: Measuring the strategy and staying in touch

Adult social care workforce recruitment and retention strategy, 2nd edition
Published by Skills for Care, West Gate, 6 Grace Street, Leeds LS1 2RP
www.skillsforcare.org.uk
Skills for Care 2014
Copies of this work may be made for non-commercial distribution to aid social care
workforce development. Any other copying requires the permission of Skills for Care.
Skills for Care is the employer-led strategic body for workforce development in social care
for adults in England. It is part of the sector skills council, Skills for Care and Development.
Bibliographic reference data for Harvard-style author/date referencing system:
Short reference: Skills for Care [or SfC] 2014
Long reference: Skills for Care, Adult social care workforce recruitment and retention strategy,
2nd edition, (Leeds, 2014)
www.skillsforcare.org.uk
This strategy was compiled and written by social care employer representatives working
together as the Department of Healths social care recruitment and retention working group.

02 | 03

Ministerial
foreword
We all recognise that safe and compassionate care is a vital
service in todays society. The need for care and support
continues to grow, creating more demands to increase
the size and skills of the adult social care workforce.

It is estimated that by 2030 the number of

people aged over 85 will have doubled, whilst
advances in healthcare mean people with
disabilities and long-term health conditions
are living longer. Longer life expectancy is to
be welcomed, but it does mean in future, care
services will be an important part of more
peoples lives.
Effective recruitment and retention of a caring
and skilled adult social care workforce has a
central role to play in delivering high quality
care and support to people who need it. Our
challenge is to ensure the workforce has the
right number of people, with the right skills,
knowledge and behaviours to deliver the
quality, compassionate care we all deserve.
In 2011 the Department of Health, working
with Skills for Care and other sector partners,
published a Recruitment and retention
strategy that set out a vision and action plan
for building the capacity of the social care
workforce.
Earlier this year we saw the Care Act 2014
pass into law. We now need a refreshed
Recruitment and retention strategy, which
takes account of the many changes the Act
will bring in, as well as incorporating lessons
learnt from reports such as that of Robert
Francis into the tragic events at Mid Staffs
hospital. Without the right workforce we
cannot deliver the promise of the Act.
Real progress has been made since the
publication of the original Recruitment and

retention strategy, including doubling the

number of social care Apprenticeship starts,
launching a new I Care...Ambassadors service
and the launch and piloting of a values-based
recruitment toolkit for the sector. However,
much still remains to be done.
Lastly it is important to remember that if
we want the right people with the right
qualities and skills we must expect to offer
appropriate rewards and ensure that staff
have sufficient time to carry out their caring
roles. Commissioners must ensure their
procurement of care reflects the National
Minimum Wage and the actual amount of
time necessary to deliver good quality care.
Employers must ensure that they pay their
staff the National Minimum Wage.
I very much welcome this refreshed
Recruitment and retention strategy. It
represents the next milestone in our sectorwide work towards growing an adult social
care workforce, who are motivated to work
in care and support, recruited using the best
practices on the basis of the right skills and
values, within a care sector which values its
employees and retains their commitment by
providing appropriate opportunities for reward
and progression.

Norman Lamb MP
Minister of State for Care and Support.

SectionOne
Introduction
Since the publication of the first Adult social care recruitment
and retention strategy in 2011 - which was developed by the
sector, for the sector - substantial progress has been made in
tackling the six key priority areas that were established:

promoting the social care sector

attracting a diverse workforce

managing new interests and new recruits

retention

research and intelligence

standards, learning and qualifications.

In short, the first strategy was about doing

more to work together. Over the years, we
have learnt a lot from employers that have
been committed to developing fair terms and
working conditions as the key to finding and
keeping the very best kinds of people, with
the right values to work within the sector, to
deliver high quality care and support services
to those that needed them.
It is clear that although significant progress
has been made since the launch, the sector
still thinks that there is much work to be done.
This refreshed strategy is therefore built on
the initial strategy through wide consultation
across the sector. It acknowledges the
many successes to date e.g. The Social
Care Commitment (see section two for more
examples). It also recognises that further
progress to develop and promote the whole
of the sector with the diversity of employers,
settings and job roles requires effective
recruitment and retention practices to remain
a high priority for all.
04 | 05

What have we learnt?

The previous recruitment and retention strategy and implementation
plan were evaluated for their impact by a team of independent
consultants - a copy of their report can be found at
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/research.
The evaluation showed that:

the main impact was strategic with the focus on strengthening and developing
joint working relationships between key stakeholders and employers to agree
a plan of action to include how this work should be measured for its impact

for the first time, ideas about how to address recruitment and retention issues
were brought into a single document backed up by a group with membership
from key organisations

the activities of the group were influential in developing workforce proposals

for the White Paper, Caring for our future: reforming care and support

the broad membership of the Department of Healths recruitment and

retention group, and the flexibility with which it has worked, allowed it to
address a wider range of issues, and provide support to different projects,
than was originally included in the implementation plan

examples of new activity initiated or augmented by the group include a pilot

in the North East which is looking at new ways of linking Jobcentre Plus
claimants with jobs available in the sector, and activity to address some of the
practical barriers to offering work experience placements

a range of new themes to include in a refreshed implementation plan were

identified by stakeholders. The themes were:
- a focus on practical tools to support employers when recruiting staff
- assessing the skills, values and behaviours of candidates
- prioritising emerging and important areas of the workforce such as
domiciliary care, the reablement workforce, personal assistants and
individual employers.
These themes are covered within the priorities and major programmes
included in this refreshed strategy

there is a need for further research into the issues underpinning recruitment
and retention in the sector

employers have a range of support needs in this area, such as how to test
candidates for basic skills (e.g. English language skills), how and where to
advertise posts and assessing individuals for their values and behaviours

there is a case for commissioning work to understand the nature of the

challenge in greater depth, as there are still several gaps in the evidence base

there were also suggestions about how the plan should be delivered in future.
Stakeholders thought that monitoring and evaluation of the impact of activities
should be embedded in the refreshed plan and linked to particular activities.

This evaluation recommended that

any subsequent refresh should:

be framed around the practical recruitment

and retention challenges faced by
employers and offer practical tools, written
in a suitable style for busy employers

assign key activities from the strategy to

members of the Department of Healths
group who will collectively manage this
work and provide regular updates

ensure any refreshed strategy is

accompanied by a robust evaluation
framework to enable us to assess impact
and make new decisions as we progress

include a review of the Department of

Healths recruitment and retention group
to ensure relevant membership and new
terms of reference

06 | 07

develop a business case for a larger study

into the nature of recruitment and retention
problems within the sector

continue to work with employment and

careers intermediaries based around the
findings from the work piloted in the North
East as these are likely to have a positive
impact.

These recommendations will be addressed

further in section two - what has the sector
achieved? and section five taking action
and priorities for 2014 onwards.

Who is this strategy

for and how should
it be used?
This strategy provides a comprehensive overview of the
excellent work that has been achieved to date by the sector
and describes the sectors own ambitions for the future.
The document focuses on the roles and
commitments made by employers, key
delivery partners, representative bodies and
government departments and shows how
their collective programmes of work will
impact upon the key priority areas outlined in
this refreshed strategy. It explains the broad
array of major programmes that are being
taken forward and how these are intended
to raise the profile of adult social care,
encourage and enable better recruitment
practices and address the issue of above
industry average turnover. Against each of
these major programmes, links are provided
to further information for those who want to
find out more or get involved.

The strategy will be supported by a more

detailed implementation plan for employers
and priority groups or individuals. This
will be linked to practical guidance to
support employers to promote effective
commissioning, fair terms and working
conditions, such as taking active steps to
ensure that employment practice complies
with employment legislation as a minimum,
and provides additional benefits or enhanced
terms and conditions where possible.
It will also link to good recruitment and
retention practices and will offer a range
of practical tools, resources, case studies
and further information to link the strategic
objectives to employers everyday business
and the ways in which they can develop their
own very specific recruitment and retention
plans for the future.

How will policy

developments inform
this refreshed strategy?
We need to attract more people to work in care
and support, to ensure there are enough skilled
people to deliver high quality care in the future.
The White Paper, Caring for our future:
reforming care and support, published
in 2012, set out a bold new vision for a
reformed care and support system, with
a focus on high quality services and the
empowerment of individuals to have control
over their own budgets and care and
support plans.
Within this vision, we saw the identification
of the need to develop an online, centralised
approach to high quality recruitment and
retention resources, guidance, information
and support materials. The Department of
Health commissioned a scoping exercise
from Leeds University to look at this in
more detail and the findings from this
work will be instrumental in developing
the implementation plan and supporting
resources that will accompany this refreshed
strategy.
The implementation of the Care Act 2014
will require significant change to workers
roles and practice to meet new legal
expectations. The Act highlights a specific
focus on local authorities, due to their
new duties and statutory responsibility for
workforce development across the whole
08 | 09

social care workforce in their locality,

to ensure sufficient workforce capacity
exists to meet the requirements of the
reforms. However, social care employers
in the independent sector also need to
consider the impact of the reforms on their
workforce. Commissioners and provider
employers will need to start planning for
new roles and/or differing roles, skills mixes
and capacity based on the requirements of
the Act. This further emphasises the support
required by all employers to meet current
and future needs for effective recruitment
and retention. This strategy will support
employers with the provision of tools and
information to promote, for example, the
legal duty to pay the National Minimum
Wage and the positive impact and value of
providing the workforce with adequate time
for scheduled visits. By placing personal
budgets into law for the first time, the Care
Act 2014 will make them the norm for
people with care and support needs. This
has clear implications for the continuing
growth of the individual employer and
personal assistant market; and in turn the
demand for information and support with
recruitment and retention issues.

Skills for Care and the National Skills

Academy for Social Care are developing
resources to help employers with all aspects
of learning and development and capacity
planning readiness to implement the Care
Act. Commissioned by the Department
of Health they are working in partnership
with the Association of Directors of Adult
Social Services, Centre for Workforce
Intelligence, The College of Social Work, Local
Government Association and Social Care
Institute for Excellence (SCIE).

Cavendish also stated that Health Education

England (HEE), together with Skills for Care and
Skills for Health should develop a Certificate
of Fundamental Care, in conjunction with
the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC),
employers, and sector skills bodies. This
should be written in language which is
meaningful to the public, link to the framework
of National Occupational Standards, and
build on work done by Skills for Health and
Skills for Care on National Minimum Training
Standards.

Both the Francis Enquiry (2013) and the

Cavendish Review (2013) emphasised
the importance of positive cultures and a
workforce with the right values and attitudes
to provide high quality care. Cavendish
asserted that employers should be supported
to test values, attitudes and aptitude for
caring at recruitment stage. The Culture for
care toolkit, A Question of Care: A Career
for You and the Value Based Recruitment
Toolkit have all been positively received and
are already making a difference in the sector.
Further plans for their use and reach will be
highlighted in the implementation plan.

Skills for Care is working with Health

Education England (HEE) and other
partners on the implementation of the
18 recommendations in the Cavendish
report, including the development of a Care
Certificate and value based recruitment.
This will ensure that the adult social care
sector is represented in the forthcoming
period of reform, and that work developed
from these recommendations will be built
into the ways in which we provide support
to employers to implement their recruitment
and retention strategies.

SectionTwo
What has the
sector achieved?
The examples provided in this section represent some of
the major programme initiatives that have taken place over
the life of the first strategy. These achievements have only
been made possible where we have seen real and active
employer/stakeholder co-operation at all levels.
For many of these programmes, activity is continuing in
2014 (and beyond) as there is more work needed to further
develop and embed the efforts achieved to date. They are by
no means a full reflection of the complete spectrum of work
that has been accomplished behind the scenes since 2011
or the many sub-projects that have contributed to the overall
successes of these major programmes - but they do represent
a realistic snapshot of the direction of travel and in many
cases signpost to future work that has yet to take place.

10 | 11

Values Based Recruitment Toolkit and

A Question of Care: A Career for You?
Employers know that attracting talent isnt
just about trying to target those with existing
skills, knowledge and experience. The online
Values Based Recruitment Toolkit launched
by the Minister in July 2013 received 44,823
web hits by the end of July 2014. The toolkit
(which is currently being evaluated over a 12
month period) is helping employers to recruit
the right people with the right social care
values who can be trusted to do the right
thing and who will stay with their employer to
develop their careers in social care.
A Question of Care: A Career for You?
provides further support for employers in
making right first time selection decisions.
This free online resource has been piloted
throughout 2013 and has attracted over 5,000
visits from jobseekers, careers advisors and
employers. A Question of Care shows videos
of day to day work in the care sector and
generates a personal profile for each enquirer
completing the challenge, measuring their
suitability against the values and attitudes that
social care employers are looking for.

I CareAmbassadors
The I CareAmbassador initiative was
developed in partnership with employers and
employees to use enthusiastic people working
in social care to promote careers to those who
had not previously considered working in the
sector. Since the launch of the register in July
2013, 147 employers, 23 employer partnerships
and 461 ambassadors have signed up to
deliver I CareAmbassador services. A series
of activities took place to launch I Care
Ambassadors to the careers and employment
support sector in February 2014.

Employing personal assistants toolkit

For many people, employing staff to provide
care and support in their own homes can
be very daunting. The Employing personal
assistants toolkit guides individual employers
through the process, from advertising
vacancies and interviewing through to
agreeing contracts, ongoing management
and supervision and training. The toolkit,
produced by Skills for Care, has been
downloaded more than 3,000 times and more
than 2,500 paper copies have been issued,
with feedback from individual employers
across England being consistently positive.
As part of the continued implementation
of the PA Framework, an online hub to
support and host resources for individual
employers and personal assistants (PAs) will
be developed in 2014/15. Hosted by Skills
for Care, the hub will collate resources and
information from external organisations and
partners; promoting a single point of access
to information from a wide number of sources.
Organisations from the sector will be invited
to routinely submit content to ensure the
continued currency of the resource.
The Social Care Commitment
Introduced in September 2013, the Social
Care Commitment is the sectors promise to
provide people who need care and support
with high quality services. Employers and
employees, across the whole of the adult
social care sector, sign up to the commitment
pledging to improve the quality of the
workforce. It is seen by the Department of
Health as a key part of the solution to raising
the standard of, and the publics confidence
in, adult social care. Within the first 10 months
of the sign up system going live, over 1,000
employers had already made the Social
Care Commitment and we expect the sign
up rate to increase as the initiative gathers
momentum.

12 | 13

Supporting unemployed people to access

careers within the sector
The Department for Work and Pensions and
Jobcentre Plus have been working alongside
Skills for Care, employers and other key
stakeholders to develop activities to support
the attraction of the right kinds of new
entrants to the adult social care sector. This
has included an innovative new pilot project
in the North East that has trained advisors
in each Jobcentre Plus office to understand
the range of opportunities available within
the sector, enabling them to better assess
the potential of their candidates to satisfy
employers role requirements.
Sector Route-way
Skills for Care developed this pre-employment
training and recruitment process to support
job seekers to access employment in
the adult social care sector. It is used by
Jobcentre Plus as the basis for sector-based
work academies for social care. The 60
hour pre-employment course provides an
introduction to the nature of work available
in the sector, as well as the skills required.
Learners receive a level 1 qualification when
they complete the course and are then
supported to find the right work for them
within the sector.
Common Induction Standards and
Managers Induction Standards
The Common Induction Standards and
Manager Induction Standards recognised the
need to ensure all staff receive a thorough
induction and sought to address gaps in
the skills of new managers. Developed by
Skills for Care, both the Common Induction
Standards (now mandatory) and the Manager
Induction Standards are widely recognised
by the sector. Between April 2011 and July
2014, the Common Induction Standards were
downloaded over 205,600 times and the
Manager Induction Standards over 36,800
times. The Common Induction Standards
have informed, and will be superseded by
the Care Certificate in 2015.

The Link Up Project

Leadership Qualities Framework

Through this innovative project in the

South East and Midlands areas of England,
individual employers and registered care
providers have worked together to share
knowledge, experience and good practice on
a broad range of recruitment and retention
related topics. An independent evaluation
of Link Up, completed in early 2014, found
it to have considerable value and a strong
rationale, highlighting an array of benefits
for those involved. The Link Up step by step
guide has been produced to support other
employers wishing to implement this new
way of working. This guide is being rolled out
nationally during 2014.

The White Paper, Caring for our future:

reforming care and support, recognised the
importance of leadership in a changing social
care landscape. In response to this, the
Leadership Qualities Framework has been
introduced by the National Skills Academy
for Social Care and describes, in one place,
the attitudes and behaviours needed for
high quality leadership at every level of the
sector. Reflecting the diversity of social
care, the framework shows what leadership
looks like in different contexts in terms of
practice leadership, collaborative leadership,
community leadership and working with a
range of stakeholders.

Assessed and Supported Year in

Employment (ASYE)

Apprenticeships

Introduced in September 2012 as part of

the output from the Social Work Reform
Board, the ASYE is for newly qualified social
workers (NQSW) in any employment setting.
Now integrated by many employers into
employment practice, it followed previous
NQSW frameworks in adults and childrens
services offering support in the form of
reflective supervision, protected workload and
dedicated time for professional development,
and also includes an employer based holistic
assessment which identifies progress
throughout the year against the ASYE
level within the Professional Capabilities
Framework (PCF). Employers currently
register NQSWs undertaking the ASYE (1,024
in adult services in 2013/14) to receive a
grant through Skills for Care. A similar model
is in place for childrens services via the
Department for Education. The College of
Social Work, who are responsible for the PCF,
issue a certificate on successful completion.

Skills for Care has a dedicated resource to

promote Apprenticeships in adult social
care. The Apprenticeship programme is all
age and the frameworks are designed and
driven by employers. Over the last two years
a further 133,401 adult social care workers
began an Apprenticeship, employed in the
sector and earning whilst learning. Of this
total, 30% are younger recruits to our sector
and in this same period we increased the
retention of Apprenticeships to 76% which is
4% higher than the national average.
In 2011/12 Skills for Care were directly
responsible for 2,769 Apprenticeship starts on
the intermediate and advanced frameworks
as part of innovation projects, and following
completion of their framework 96% continued
their employment in the sector. 72% were
aged 16-18 demonstrating success in
attracting younger recruits.
In Apprenticeship Week 2014, our activities,
events and promotions reached an audience
of over five million people.

SectionThree
Our future needs
Although major advances have been made, recruitment
and retention data tells us that progress is still required
to prepare for future.

Demand for adult social care services is

projected to increase significantly as the
population grows and people continue to live
longer with more complex care and support
needs, such as dementia1.

Skills for Care, The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England in 2013

Employers agree that they will need not

only a larger workforce, but perhaps more
importantly, a workforce that is skilled, highly
functioning and flexible to provide high quality
care with dignity and compassion.
The size
of the workforce
will have to increase
significantly to meet
this demand.

14 | 15

The sector will need to overcome out-dated perceptions and actively promote itself as one
that offers fulfilling work and real career opportunities with fair terms and conditions to attract,
recruit and retain a whole range of individuals looking for a variety of careers within the sector
at all levels. The focus should not just be on entry level workers but also those careers linked
to managerial and supervisory roles and opportunities to progress into professions including
social work, occupational therapy and nursing, as well as ancillary roles such as IT and
domestic personnel. Care and support services will need to become more responsive and
innovative to ensure that new prospective entrants and those already working in the sector
understand the true scope of opportunities that exist.

Turnover and vacancy rates in the sector are too high

The turnover rate is around 20% for adult social care; compared to 15% nationally across all
sectors.
The vacancy rate is 3-4% for adult social care; compared to 2% nationally across all sectors.
Vacancy and turnover rates have remained pretty static over the last few years. It is estimated
that roughly half of the turnover figures are attributed to people moving within the sector as
opposed to leaving it all together.
Employers generally agree however that these rates remain too high, although they recognise
that there are many excellent initiatives they can all share and learn from and this will be a
continuing priority within this refreshed strategy.
However some employers state that, in reality, they have sometimes had to make the difficult
decision to recruit people on the basis of urgent need rather than quality and this is not
something that is acceptable for anyone.

Recruiting the wrong

people is costly

12k

8.2k

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

(CIPD) estimates the average cost of recruiting the wrong
person is 8,200, rising to 12,000 for senior managers
or directors.
If the temptation to respond (albeit reluctantly)
to unfilled vacancies or address rapid
turnovers with poor quality appointments is
to be avoided, we will need to demonstrate
beyond any doubt the negative impacts of
taking such actions.
The experience of ineffective recruitment has
been reported in terms of the negative impact
this has on individuals receiving care and
support services, lost revenue and business
reputation.
This will be a priority area of work for the
new strategy. We will undertake a range
of activities to spell out the benefits of
developing positive workplace cultures linked
to fair working terms and conditions and offer
alternative good practices that employers can
readily implement.

16 | 17

The message is clear:

effective recruitment
and retention plans are
essential if the sector is
to plan for and meet the
future demands.

Fundamentally, recruiting the right people

into adult social care, and ensuring that they
stay in the sector, because they feel valued
and supported has a positive impact on not
only retention and performance but more
importantly, standards of care and support
and therefore upon the quality of life of people
who need these services.
Employers in the sector understand that
recruitment and retention has to be based
around fair working conditions and positive
workplace cultures if they are to recruit high
quality staff. No employer intentionally sets
out to recruit people that are not suited to
the job. Nor does any employer want to
have high rates of staff turnover or unfilled
vacancies. The reality is that good progress
has been made. However, both high turnover
and vacancy rates are still too common
in our sector and have very significant
consequences, not least for the people who
are in need of these services. The negative
impact on people who need care and support
services, business reputation, wasted money
and time being diverted away from other
important business priorities are all significant
factors.
There are many examples of excellent
employment practices linked to recruitment
and retention initiatives and the positive
impacts this generates for people that need
care and support services, but for some
employers the issue has become a vicious
circle. The presence of acute staff shortages
can lead to the recruitment of unsuitable
candidates, resulting in high turnover and
staffing pressures and ultimately impacts
upon the quality and continuity of care for
some of societys most vulnerable adults.
This cycle needs to be broken.
Our sector is still misunderstood. Despite
progress being made in the original strategy
the sector still has to tackle out-dated
perceptions that exist about working in
adult social care, and this is why it remains
a priority area in this refresh. The evidence
shows ultimately negative perceptions

prevail. We have many excellent examples

from committed employers that understand
much can be done to promote the very
positive aspects of working in the care
sector. However, too few people recognise
the many rewarding career and progression
opportunities that are available. They are not
aware of the many graduate, supervisory
or managerial posts that exist nor do
they recognise the opportunities that are
available for specialist roles such as social
workers, nurses, occupational therapists and
physiotherapists and the many supporting
and ancillary roles. As a consequence,
the sector is consistently missing out on
a large talent pool of people with the right
values and skills to have very varied and
successful careers in our sector. This includes
opportunities to recruit from groups in society
that are currently under-represented in the
adult social care workforce including young
people, males and disabled people. It is
essential that out-dated perceptions are
overcome to support the sectors growth.
Skills for Cares National Minimum Data Set
for Social Care (NMDS-SC) dashboards
provide more detailed national, regional and
local data on things like turnover and vacancy,
pay, demographics and qualifications.
For more information visit
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/nmds-scdashboards.

SectionFour
The impact for the sector
- what you are saying
Employers who promote fair terms and conditions linked to positive workplace
cultures and effective recruitment and retention practices are more likely to
see the positive impact upon their own businesses. But there are also positive
benefits across the adult social care sector, from people who need care and
support services, to those employed in the sector, individual employers and
large companies. It is relevant to everyone and everyone has a role to play.
Research has shown that effective retention strategies dont need to be costly or complex and
can be linked to good organisations who promote positive workplace cultures and values.
To see this research visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/recruitmentandretentionstrategy.

Recruiting people with the right values in the

first instance and giving them a career path and
progression gives us better retention and continuity
of the workforce, improving the quality of care
through consistency.
Nigel Taylor, Group Learning and Development Manager,
CareTech Community Services

Getting the right personal assistants is crucial for me. I

have a very full and busy business life and at the moment
I am going through a recruitment drive. Its taking time,
but it isnt about taking on just anyone, its about that
special someone that I can work with. If theyve got the
right values and basic skills we can always work together
to address any other training they may need.
Nina Osborne, Individual employer, Nina Osborne Training
and Consultancy

18 | 19

Strong social work values, experience and skills and a

commitment to professional development are key to the
recruitment and retention of staff. Creating a culture of support
is crucial, in order to progress workers through programmes
such as Assessed and Supported Year in Employment
(ASYE) and beyond, in line with the Professional Capabilities
Framework. This support makes workers feel valued and
assists in retaining a professional and competent workforce.
Cheryl Scott, Social Work Team Manager, Salford City Council

ADASS members recognise that local councils

commissioning high quality, ethical care and support
resources for their communities can only do so if they
work hand in hand with their providers to prioritise efforts
to recruit and retain high quality, motivated workers.
People with the right values, skills and attitudes who
want to make a real difference make this possible.
John Nawrockyi, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
(ADASS) Workforce Development Network

I was astounded to learn of such a wide

variety of social care roles. I would highly
recommend working in this sector as you can
really make a big difference to peoples lives.
Stephanie Taylor, Care worker

Recruitment processes which test values and include

people who use the services has improved the diversity
of our workforce, reduced issues of poor performance
and strengthened the voice of people we support. We
have found that assessment centres deliver this and
also support a greater understanding of the role for
candidates with and without previous experience.
Mandy Crowford MSc, Director of Adult Services,
Westminster Society

SectionFive
Taking action and
priorities for 2014
Employers agree that they must continue to take
decisive action now to impact on current and
future recruitment and retention practices.
It remains a high priority for the adult social care
sector in England. In simple terms employers
agree that there are three main challenges:

target and attract a diverse

range of new talent, address
misconceptions about the sector
and better promote the rewarding
career opportunities it offers to
ensure care is a career of choice

recruit more people into the sector

with the right values and skills

raise retention levels and reduce

vacancy rates.

They also agree that there is no single

solution to overcoming these challenges
and different employers will have very
different needs at any given time.

20 | 21

Priorities
Linked closely to these challenges, this refreshed
strategy focuses on three main priorities:
to raise the profile of adult social care and the career

progression opportunities it offers to help attract more

people with the right values and skills to work in the sector

to encourage and enable better recruitment practices

to address the issue of above average turnover rates
that exist in the sector.

These priority areas are intrinsically linked to

developing positive workplace cultures that
embed fair terms and working conditions
into employers recruitment and retention
practices, taking active steps to ensure
that employment practice complies with
employment legislation as a minimum, and
provides additional benefits or enhanced
terms and conditions where possible.
For presentational purposes, the priorities
are shown separately, but we recognise that
the issues are clearly connected. Success in
one area is therefore expected to generate
positive impacts for other priorities, creating a
self-fulfilling cycle that leads to an appropriate
and sustainable workforce, as well as wider
benefits for the quality and continuity of care
offered as a result. For example, promotion of
a positive workplace culture that nurtures and
develops the workforce will support workers
to be motivated and productive in their role
which in turn will decrease turnover rates and
reduce the need for recruitment drives and
as a result have a positive effect for people

needing care and support services.

A deliberate decision has been taken to
propose that the focus remains on a limited
number of priorities to focus efforts and
ensure a stronger opportunity for success.
In the tables that follow, the current position
against each priority is explained and a
statement of ambition provided. There is
also an outline of how we will move from
where we are now to where we want to be,
with the emphasis on major programmes1
that will benefit the sector. Whilst the
major programmes are expected to remain
important areas of work, new initiatives will
continue to be introduced over the life of
the strategy and existing ones brought to
a close, and it is inevitable that some will
be more successful than others. However,
the starting point is well defined and offers
encouragement that beneficial change can
be achieved.

A wider range of activities are being delivered and proposed by partners across the
adult social care sector but this strategy focuses on the major programmes that respond
to strategic priorities and will be supported by a range of individual projects over time.

PriorityOne
To raise the profile of adult social care and the career
opportunities it offers to help attract more people with the right
values and skills to work in the sector. This includes nurses, social
workers, occupational therapists, other diversely qualified staff and
those performing important ancillary and support roles.

Where are we now?

Ambition

Vacancy rates in the adult social care

sector are between one and a half
times and twice the national average.
Negative perceptions about working
in the sector still exist and social care
is being insufficiently promoted as a
valid and rewarding career choice.

The adult social care sector will have

vacancy rates that are closer to, or below,
the national average. Career pathways and
opportunities offered by the adult social
care sector will be better understood and
conveyed in schools, other educational
settings, by careers and employment
advisers and across society at large.

How will we do it?

Major programmes

How will it contribute to the strategic priority?

Whos responsible?

Where can I find out more?

Showcasing excellence
in the delivery of adult
social care

Skills for Cares Accolades reward the best of the best in adult
social care. The awards provide an opportunity to share best
practice so we can continue to make innovative improvements
that make a difference to those who need care and support.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/accolades
or email [email protected]

National Skills Academy

for Social Care

The National Skills Academy for Social Care is committed to

strengthening the leadership and management involved in
the delivery of care and improving the status of social care as
a skilled profession. Participation in the national heats of the
Worldskills UK Health and Social Care Competitions not only
demonstrates this but also has a positive impact on the public
perception of those who work in the sector. The competitions
showcase all that is positive and valued in social care and
gives the people whose daily work may often go unnoticed the
opportunity to shine.
I Care...Ambassadors

The formal launch of the I CareAmbassador initiative took

place in February 2014. The continuation of this successful
initiative will see the adult social care sector promoted as
a positive career choice, by engaging and committed role
models who have first-hand experience of working in the
sector.
We anticipate that by March 2015, 150 services will have
600 Ambassadors in place, and that these ambassadors will
deliver 300 events reaching 3,000 recipients.
We will also continue to add material to the Resource Bank
for I CareAmbassadors. A series of workshops to support
the personal development of ambassadors is taking place
during 2014. Further targets have been established for
subsequent years.

22 | 23

Cross-sector employer-led
initiative coordinated by
Skills for Care

Visit www.nsasocialcare.co.uk/worldskills
or call 0203 011 5270
or email [email protected]

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/icareambassadors
or email [email protected]

PriorityOne chart contd

Major programmes

How will it contribute to the strategic priority?

Whos responsible?

Where can I find out more?

I Care resources

Resources will be produced in partnership with employers

and key stakeholders to support their recruitment and
retention practices. Whilst much of what is produced is
generic, specific work will focus on highlighting projects such
as the Homecare Challenge and case studies to promote
the recruitment of different job roles, for example nurses,
occupational therapist, and supporting and ancillary roles.
This work will showcase the range of different entry levels.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/recruitment

Cross-departmental
working to increase the
number of graduates
pursuing a career in
adult social care

Collaborative working across key partners can help to

encourage more graduates to choose a career in adult social
care and can showcase the leadership and management
opportunities that the sector can offer.

Cross-organisation,
including National Skills
Academy for Social Care
and Department for
Education

One example is the Careship for Graduates, outlined

on the National Skills Academy for Social Care website:
www.nsasocialcare.co.uk/careship/graduates

Community skills and

recruitment from active
communities

Working with communities as a route to talking to people to

promote social care. By acknowledging and appreciating the
skills that people have and valuing the support that people in
communities offer free of charge to people in need of care and
support has proved to be an excellent way to raise the profile of
social care and the different career opportunities available.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/communityskills

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/apprenticeships
or www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Activity will focus on providing pre-recruitment information

and guidance and embedding the recruitment and retention of
volunteers and carers wishing to enter into care settings (either
in a paid or voluntary capacity). This in turn may lead to a prerecruitment drive.
Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship programmes in adult social care are for all ages

over 16 years and provide a formal structure for entry into and
development within the sector.
Traineeship programmes are specific to young people between
the ages of 16-24 years and may lead to an Apprenticeship.
The combination of the programmes help to facilitate increased
retention across all age groups as well as increased recruitment
opportunities for younger people.
Execution of the five year implementation plan for Apprenticeship
growth will guide activity.
The current Apprenticeship offer accommodates the majority of adult
social care staff across intermediate at level 2, advanced at level 3
and higher at level 5. An Apprenticeship at level 4 is being developed
and the facilitation of a trailblazer underway to expand provision.

24 | 25

The National
Apprenticeship Service
Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills
Department of Health

PriorityTwo
To encourage and enable better recruitment practices.

Where are we now?

Ambition

Growing demand means that many

employers are recruiting in response
to an urgent need to fill vacancies.
Sometimes numbers have taken
priority over quality as it is difficult
to appoint people with the values
and attributes that are suited to the
challenges of the job.

Recruiting on the basis of values will

become commonplace across the
sector. Employers will be more confident
that they have recruited the right people
for the job and that those people will
stay with them to develop their careers.

How will we do it?

Major programmes

How will it contribute to the strategic priority?

Whos responsible?

Where can I find out more?

Development of an
online version of
the Finders Keepers
resource

We will explore the possibilities of working with employers

to develop a centralised online resource to support their
recruitment and retention challenges and showcase good
practice. This will include supporting tools and resources to
help them to understand more about the importance of fair
terms and working conditions, positive workplace cultures
and best practice recruitment and retention activities.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/recruitment

Values based recruitment

and developing values
linked to a positive
workplace

More widespread promotion and take-up of values based

recruitment within organisations that promote positive
workplace cultures will help to ensure that more people are
recruited into the sector with the values and skills required to
deliver high quality care and with a good chance of staying in
the sector to develop their careers.

Skills for Care

Visit www.nsasocialcare.co.uk/values-basedrecruitment-toolkit
or email [email protected]

National Skills Academy

for Social Care

Also www.skillsforcare.org.uk/values
Department of Health
Also www.aquestionofcare.org.uk

Supporting employers to develop their values within positive

workplace cultures will have a positive impact on employee
wellbeing and promote closer alignment between employee
and cultural values.

26 | 27

PriorityTwo chart contd

Major programmes

How will it contribute to the strategic priority?

Whos responsible?

Where can I find out more?

Implementation of the
Personal Assistants
(PA) Framework

This work will embed working with personal assistants (PA)

and individual employers (IEs) across priority areas including:

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/employingpas

Think Local Act Personal

(TLAP)

or email [email protected] or call

0113 2451716 to request a paper copy of the toolkit

exploring a response to the mainstreaming of personal

health budgets (PHBs) to deliver an integrated, efficient
approach to wider PA working and recruitment
working with national partners to grow and share market
intelligence; with a focus on emerging trends in the IE/PA
market
maximising the use of existing levers (including the Social
Care Commitment and Values Based Recruitment toolkit)
to support employers to recruit and retain PAs

Local Government
Association
Association of Directors
of Adult Social Services
(ADASS)

supporting the effective growth and use of PA registers/

indexes.
Sector Route-way

The Sector Route-way provides essential pre-employment

training and support to potential recruits to ensure they have
a full and accurate appreciation of the opportunities that are
available, the skills they will need and the values they must
hold, before they apply for a position. The sector-based work
academies that Jobcentre Plus provide for social care are based
on the Sector Route-way process. A new interactive version of
the Sector Route-way will be released in Autumn 2014.

Skills for Care and partners

including Jobcentre Plus,
Work Programme supply
chain, further education
colleges and learning
providers

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/caresectorrouteway

Sector based work

academies

The sector based work academies provide opportunities for

work experience and skills development in the sector for
those on unemployment benefits.

Department for Work

and Pensions

A guide for employers can be found on the

following site:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/
sectorbased-work-academies-employer-guide

Work trials

Work trials offer unemployed people the opportunity

to experience work in the adult social care sector on a
short term, voluntary basis, to help them develop a better
understanding of the work and progression opportunities
it offers.

Skills for Care

Further information about the wide range of free

support available through Jobcentre Plus can be
found at:
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/
attachment_data/file/267360/jobcentreplus-yourbusiness-our-business.pdf or call 0845 601 2001

In 2014 the newly developed work experience guides will

be launched to support this experience for individuals,
employers and careers and employment support
intermediaries.

28 | 29

Department for Work

and Pensions

PriorityThree
To address the issue of above average turnover rates
that exist in the sector.

Where are we now?

Ambition

Staff turnover in adult social care is

amongst the highest of any sector
in England which has significant
consequences in terms of time,
financial cost, continuity and quality
of care.

Employers in the adult social care sector

will acknowledge the positive effects that
this strategy has had on their turnover
during the life of the strategy (recognising
that a host of other factors also influence
turnover rates at a national level).

How will we do it?

Major programmes

How will it contribute to the strategic priority?

Whos responsible?

Where can I find out more?

A Culture for Care:

Your toolkit

Launched in March 2014, the culture toolkit encourages employers

of all sizes to recognise the value of a positive workplace culture
within their organisations or teams and the benefits it can bring
to businesses in terms of recruitment, retention and the improved
quality of care and support provision.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/culture or email

[email protected] to request a paper
copy of the toolkit

The Care Certificate has been piloted with a range of employers

across health and social care during the spring and summer of
2014. The purpose of the pilot is to ascertain that the content and
delivery of the Care Certificate is effective and fit for purpose. It is
planned that the Care Certificate will be introduced in March 2015,
replacing both the National Minimum Training Standards and the
Common Induction Standards.

Skills for Care

Updates will be provided via Skills for Cares website

www.skillsforcare.org.uk/carecertificate

Workforce capacity
planning

This programme will develop a model that enables social

care employers to ensure that they have the right number of
staff, with the right skills and behaviours in the right job roles
to deliver the requirements of the Care Act.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/careact

The Learning and

Development Plan for
the Care Act

Skills for Care and the National Skills Academy for Social
Care are working in partnership with The College of Social
Work to produce a comprehensive package of free learning
and development materials aimed at delivering the skills and
knowledge needed to meet the changes required by the Care
Act when it is introduced in April 2015.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/careact

This practical toolkit provides a range of resources, good practice

case studies and messages from the sector to support employers
to develop a positive workplace culture.
The Care Certificate

An integrated suite of high quality materials are being designed

that can be tailored to the needs of an organisation or locality in
which they are to be delivered, whilst maintaining consistency.
30 | 31

Skills for Health

Health Education England

National Skills Academy

for Social Care
The College of Social Work

PriorityThree chart contd

Major programmes

How will it contribute to the strategic priority?

Whos responsible?

Where can I find out more?

Core skills

A new core skills strategy was launched in March 2014 and

will be implemented from 2014/15 onwards. The strategy
focuses on the core generic skills that enable value based
working and will provide support to enable employers
to develop employability and functional skills within the
workplace. In turn, this will enhance an individuals ability
to continue their personal development and so increase
retention rates.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/coreskills

Social Care
Commitment

The Social Care Commitment is the sectors promise to

provide people who need care and support with high quality
services. It is envisaged that by the end of September
2014, 2,500 employers will have made the Social Care
Commitment, and that by 31 March 2015, this will have led to
more than 14,000 organisational development activities and
over 20,000 additional personal development opportunities
for employees. Each of these figures is set to rise significantly
in future years.

Skills for Care

Visit www.thesocialcarecommitment.org.uk
or call 0845 300 9505

Leadership Qualities
Framework and
leadership and
management
programmes

These programmes support staff to gain the skills they need

to progress within the sector and provide managers with
leadership skills that can help to improve staff retention and
enhance productivity.

National Skills Academy

for Social Care

Details of the Leadership Qualities Framework are

available at
www.nsasocialcare.co.uk/about-us/
leadershipqualities-framework
Alternatively, a hard copy can be requested by emailing
[email protected]
Details of leadership and management programmes are
available at www.nsasocialcare.co.uk/programmes

Think Care Careers

The Think Care Careers online tool aims to help make

working in social care not just a good job, but a great career.
The site is for people considering starting a career in social
careandfor those already working in the sector who are keen
to see what career development opportunities there are.
The pages provide interactive guidance on working in adult
social care.
There are also videos and case studies of people already
working in the sector, explaining what their job involves to
enable users to have a clear understanding of the variety of
roles offered. This should help to improve retention within the
social care sector.

32 | 33

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk/thinkcarecareers

PriorityThree chart contd

Major programmes

How will it contribute to the strategic priority?

Whos responsible?

Where can I find out more?

Workforce
commissioning

Ensure that within existing workforce commissioning

resources commissioners are supported to communicate
effective recruitment and retention strategies.

Skills for Care

Visit www.skillsforcare.org.uk
and search for workforce commissioning

The Centre for Workforce

Intelligence (CfWI)

The CfWI produces quality intelligence to better inform

workforce planning both in the here and now and in 10 and
20 years time through the use of foresight techniques.
Findings from this work will inform and influence the ways in
which the sector makes robust decisions that recognise the
uncertainty of the future.

Centre for Workforce

Intelligence

Visit www.cfwi.org.uk

Promoting fair
employment terms
and conditions

A programme of measures is being developed to help

employers enhance their understanding of the variety
of issues that impact upon offering their workforce fair
terms and conditions. This will include explaining statutory
obligations in terms of, for example, paying the National
Minimum Wage and the effective and proper use of zero
hours contracts. It will signpost to relevant support services
and showcase examples of good practice.

Skills for Care

This work will be linked to the development of the

implementation plan and the consideration to develop
an online version of Finders Keepers

34 | 35

www.skillsforcare.org.uk/recruitment

SectionSix
Measuring the strategy
and staying in touch
Each priority will include a series of major
projects, each with their own link to
further information and timescales.

36 | 37

Whilst the priorities do not have quantified

targets, it is important to demonstrate the
outcomes, impact and value for money
generated by the major programmes that
sit beneath them. A very clear commitment
is therefore being made to the following
throughout the life of this strategy:

robust and consistent research and

evaluation covering all of the major
programmes to ensure that the differences
they are making to the sector can be
accurately identified

the gathering, analysis and sharing of high

quality labour market information, including
workforce projections - a key channel for
this will be to further increase the take-up
of the National Minimum Dataset for Social
Care (NMDS-SC).

The research and evaluation reports relating

to the programmes in the strategy will be
made available. The Department of Health,
Skills for Care and the other organisations
responsible for the major programmes will
use the reports to inform on-going decision
making about the continuation, expansion,
or should the need arise, end of particular
programmes. It is becoming ever more
important that publicly funded interventions
deliver the best possible outcomes and the
maximum benefit for their investment, and as
such research, evaluation and labour market
intelligence from the NMDS-SC have vital
roles to play in the implementation of this
strategy.

Implementation plan
A detailed implementation plan will be
developed to accompany this refreshed
strategy. Within this we will explore the
development of an online recruitment and
retention resource and information hub for
individual employers and personal assistants
which is envisaged to become crucial
elements to supporting the implementation.
In essence, the implementation plan will be
the wiring behind the strategy. It will be the
responsibility of the Department of Healths
recruitment and retention group and will be
kept under regular review.
Staying in touch
This strategy will be a live document and
will naturally be subject to amends in order
to accommodate change. It will be reviewed
on a quarterly basis by the Department of
Healths recruitment and retention group
and progress updates will be posted on
the Skills for Cares website at
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/recruitment.
Updates can also be found via the enews
bulletins of Skills for Care and the Department
of Health and via the links for specific major
programmes of work in this document.

Notes

38 | 39

Skills for Care

West Gate
6 Grace Street
Leeds
LS1 2RP
Tel: 0113 245 1716
Fax: 0113 243 6417
Email: [email protected]
Skills for Care 2014