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A national overview of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, including recruitment, retention, pay, demographics and training.
Key statistics
Key messages
Policy implications
Gaps
Commentary
This report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the adult social care workforce in England, highlighting the scale and persistence of recruitment and retention challenges. High turnover and continued reliance on international recruitment underscore the fragility of workforce supply.
The demographic profile of the workforce is striking. A predominantly female workforce, combined with variations in pay and progression, points to long-standing structural issues in how care work is valued and rewarded. These patterns shape both workforce stability and career sustainability.
From a care equity perspective, the findings raise questions about who bears the burden of workforce instability. Low pay, high turnover and limited progression disproportionately affect groups already overrepresented in the sector, including women and migrant workers. These have consequences for continuity, quality and fairness of care for people who rely on services.
Overall, the report highlights that addressing workforce shortages is not only about numbers. Improving equity in pay, conditions and opportunity is central to building a stable adult social care workforce and ensuring that care is delivered consistently and fairly across England.
A study examining safety inequities experienced by people with learning disabilities in English health and social care, drawing on lived experiences from focus groups and patient feedback narratives.
A systematic review examining interventions designed to reduce inequities in dementia diagnosis and post-diagnostic care across multiple countries, focusing on individual, community and health system solutions.
A qualitative study examining how newly qualified social workers in England experience and respond to racism in practice, and how social work education prepares them to challenge racism in health and social care contexts.
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Analysis examining how social policies in England and Wales fail to address the needs of Autistic adults, focusing on barriers in health services and social care systems.
A study examining safety inequities experienced by people with learning disabilities in English health and social care, drawing on lived experiences from focus groups and patient feedback narratives.
A systematic review examining interventions designed to reduce inequities in dementia diagnosis and post-diagnostic care across multiple countries, focusing on individual, community and health system solutions.
A qualitative study examining how newly qualified social workers in England experience and respond to racism in practice, and how social work education prepares them to challenge racism in health and social care contexts.
A national study exploring practical solutions to reduce inequalities in dementia diagnosis and care across England, drawing on workshops with people with dementia, carers, professionals and third sector organisations.
A policy-focused review examining barriers to dementia care access for Black and minoritised communities in the UK, highlighting gaps between national policy ambitions and local service delivery.
