Attraction and recruitment

Video

Introduction

We need well-staffed social services and a knowledgeable workforce to deliver effective, accessible services that empower the people who access support. But social care is facing significant difficulties in attraction and recruitment.

In Wales, Social Care Wales’s (2023a) annual workforce data collection for 2022 estimated that 84,134 people were employed in the social care workforce – this is seven per cent lower than in 2021, despite increasing care needs in the population. Getting attraction and recruitment right is vital if we want organisations to have enough staff with the necessary workplace skills, values, knowledge, and experience (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development [CIPD], 2022a; Edwards et al., 2022).

The current challenges

Social care is facing attraction and recruitment challenges across the world. There was a 59 per cent increase in the number of vacancies in the Welsh care sector reported between 2021 and 2022, from 2676 to 4257 (Social Care Wales 2023a).  The actual number of vacancies in Wales is likely to be higher due to incomplete data (Social Care Wales 2023a).

Employers who struggle to fill vacancies sometimes end up relying on agency staff, which can be expensive and isn’t sustainable in the long term (Migration Advisory Committee [MAC] and Revealing Reality, 2022). This can also affect the quality of care if there is inconsistency in who provides care (MAC and Revealing Reality, 2022).

However, jobs offered by agencies can be attractive to some jobseekers because they may offer better pay and less intense workloads. They can also give staff more choice as to when and where they work.

For employers, using agency workers can offer a short-term solution to issues of short staffing, because agency workers are able to work on an as-needed basis. While some jobseekers prefer the flexibility of agency work, however, others would like more stable employment. The need for flexibility in some care provision means that employers don’t always offer longer-term job opportunities. As a result, they may fail to attract jobseekers who do want more stable employment (Urban Foresight, 2023a; for more on this, read our evidence summary on well-being and retention; Urban Foresight and Deerfield, 2024).

Staff shortages already affect our ability to provide care, and this is likely to worsen as the population ages and demand for care rises (Hanney and Karagic, 2019; Teo et al., 2022). This is particularly relevant to Wales, which has a higher percentage of the population over retirement age than England, Scotland and Northern Ireland (The Health Foundation, 2020a). It’s predicted that by 2040, 53 per cent of the Welsh population will be aged over 65, and the number of adults living with severe dementia could double (Senedd Research, 2021; Siôn and Trickey, 2020).

Social care also has a broad role in supporting families, communities and the Welsh economy. Shortages in services often mean that family members or friends provide care to people who need it. The people providing support often leave their own jobs to do so. This has a knock-on effect at a community and national level, both socially and economically.

Staff shortages in the care sector impact on other areas of the economy and public services, such as NHS provision. One well-publicised use of social care services is to support individuals to leave hospital (Gordon and Elder, 2023). Staff shortages in social care settings mean patients remain in hospital beds for longer than needed, resulting in treatment delays and longer waiting lists (Gordon and Elder, 2023). In the UK in 2020, 30 per cent of bed delays for people in hospital were due to patients not having social care arrangements in place for their discharge (The Health Foundation, 2020b). Research shows that adequately staffed social care services act in a preventative way, reducing the likelihood that an individual will need NHS treatment, like being admitted or re-admitted to hospital (SCIE, 2022). For more on social care working in partnership with health, see our evidence summary on place-based care (Deerfield et al., 2024).

Raising awareness

Although social care is highly valuable to society, public awareness and appreciation of the sector is low, and perceptions are often poor.

Many people don’t know about the types of roles available, what these involve, and the skilled nature of the work (Pitarella, 2020; Urban Foresight, 2023a). Teaching about the sector in schools is often limited, and negative media attention means that care is either not considered as a career pathway or is not perceived to be an attractive one (MAC and Revealing Reality, 2022; Teo et al., 2022; The Health Foundation, 2022a; Urban Foresight, 2023a).

Responding to these difficulties, Social Care Wales launched WeCare Wales in 2019. WeCare Wales (2023) also supports the sector by:

• improving the profile and perceptions of social care through advertising and campaigning
• providing resources and information to explain potential career pathways
• engaging and supporting potential employees through outreach work
• providing training opportunities to those interested in a career in care
• supporting employers and providers, for example, through the free online job portal.
  
  

WeCare Ambassadors are employees in social care who volunteer their time to promote the sector. This helps raise the profile of social care jobs by giving members of the public a chance to hear directly from people working in the sector.

Employers can also actively raise the profile of the sector. When employers get involved with their local communities – by attending job fairs, connecting with job centres and local charities, and/or presenting at schools and colleges – research shows that they find it easier to fill their vacancies (Urban Foresight, 2023a).

Simplifying recruitment processes

When recruitment processes are too complex, applicants may turn to other, more immediate job opportunities like those found in retail or hospitality (MAC and Revealing Reality, 2022; The Health Foundation, 2022a; Urban Foresight, 2023a). Barriers to recruitment include the need for background checks or requirements for pre-employment training or qualifications (Urban Foresight, 2023a).

Simplifying recruitment processes isn’t an easy task and requires additional time and money. But it’s important that employers consider where complex processes can stop people from entering the sector (Urban Foresight, 2023a). Job adverts should be easy to understand, highlight available benefits, and show career progression opportunities to prospective candidates (Urban Foresight 2023b). Confusion about qualification and visa requirements and inflexible interview processes can also mean that applicants regularly start but don’t complete application forms, don’t turn up for interviews, or don’t accept job offers (Urban Foresight, 2023a).

Some employers have tried innovative ways of supporting their recruitment processes. Changes that have had good results include (Urban Foresight, 2023a):

• shortening application forms
• spending more time with applicants to support them through the application process
• introducing more flexible interview options, such as evening or weekend interviews
• paying for training and registration.

Conclusion

There are many challenges around attraction and recruitment. But information from research points to several ways that things can be improved. This includes changes that can be made at multiple levels, from simplifying applications and guidance documents to working towards a National Care and Support Service for Wales.

Ensuring there are enough suitable and qualified workers to provide social care services in Wales is vital for those who access care and support. Putting these things into practice has the potential to improve attraction and recruitment, and to ease workforce pressures throughout the sector and beyond.

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