Key messages 

• relationships between care staff and individuals drawing on support were central to job satisfaction 

• pay was an important factor influencing decisions to stay or leave 

• job fulfilment was linked to feeling valued and able to provide good care 

• some staff actively sought alternative employment due to working conditions 

• retention was shaped by a combination of relational, financial and organisational factors. 

Policy implications 

• retention strategies should recognise the importance of relationships in care work 

• pay and conditions remain key levers for reducing turnover 

• interventions to improve job satisfaction may support workforce stability 

• intellectual disability services may require tailored retention approaches. 

Gaps 

• findings are based on qualitative data 

• the study focuses on intellectual disability services only 

• limited insight into the impact of specific retention interventions 

• further research is needed on how organisational change affects retention. 

Commentary 
This study highlights the complex reasons why social care staff choose to remain in or leave roles, within intellectual disability services. While pay emerged as an important consideration, the quality of relationships with individuals receiving support was equally influential in shaping job satisfaction. 

Participants described care work as meaningful when they felt able to build trusting relationships and provide consistent support. Where organisational pressures limited this relational aspect, motivation to stay diminished, even when staff valued the work itself. 

Considering care equity, the findings point to how workforce instability can disproportionately affect people with intellectual disabilities. High turnover and staffing instability disrupts relationships that are central to continuity and quality of care, potentially leading to uneven experiences. At the same time, low pay and poor conditions reflect broader inequities faced by a workforce that is often undervalued. 

Overall, the study suggests that improving retention requires attention to both material conditions and the relational nature of care. Supporting staff to remain in post is essential not only for workforce sustainability, but for delivering equitable and person-centred support to people with intellectual disabilities.