Skills for Care’s latest campaign focuses on encouraging the care sector to implement its new workforce strategy.
The new ‘Driving change in social care’ campaign is running throughout September to promote the ‘Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care’, which was launched in July 2024 to improve working conditions in care and help create a sustainable, skilled and motivated care workforce.
The new campaign is also designed to encourage the care sector to adopt the recommendations made within the strategy.
The Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England was developed as a “call to action” by Skills for Care in conjunction with organisations and individuals from across adult social care, healthcare and education.
Jane Brightman, Director of Workforce Strategy at Skills for Care, says it “represents a coordinated effort to improve the recruitment, retention and training of the adult social care workforce in addition to laying the groundwork for transformational change.”
Workforce strategy addresses key challenges facing care sector
Over the next decade, the number of people aged 65 or over living in England is set to increase by around a third (32%), reaching 13.8 million by 2035. Similarly, the number of people living with dementia and the number of people aged 18-64 with a learning disability, physical disability or mental health need is also expected to rise during this time.
In addition to a growing population of people who are older and/or have complex needs, the sector must also grapple with issues of high staff turnover and recruitment challenges.
Projections indicate that the sector needs to recruit an additional 540,000 care workers by 2040, which equates to around 36,000 new posts every year from 2025.
To successfully recruit and retain these workers, the sector must ensure that social care workers are valued and that they are properly paid, supported and trained to provide high quality, compassionate care and support. This is what Skills for Care’s Workforce Strategy aims to do.
Support to implement workforce strategy for care
The Driving change in social care campaign includes resources and information for sector bosses on how they can support the implementation of the Strategy.
It also features blogs and articles from sector experts which explore the main themes and recommendations of the strategy and outline why they are important.
Key resources include:
- Statutory and mandatory training guide
- Digital skills framework
- Support for registered managers
- Workforce planning and transformation
- Delegated healthcare activities
- Supporting a diverse workforce
- Recruitment support
- Personal assistants
The campaign will be running across Skills for Care’s website, social media and other communication channels throughout September.
Campaign supporters can visit the Driving change in social care campaign hub and can join in the conversation on social media using the hashtag #ASCWorkforceStrategy.
High quality training for social care
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading, national training provider.
They deliver over 6,000 courses each year in the fields of health and safety, first aid, fire safety, food safety, mental health, health and social care and other special focus topics.
Their diverse portfolio includes training awards designed for care workers, such as Infection Control and Prevention, Safeguarding Adults, Duty of Care, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Person Centred Care and Support and many others.
Their course portfolio spans Care Certificate standards, mandatory training awards, clinical skills, special focus courses and higher level training for supervisors and managers.
A Trainer at FRT, says:
“We know that care workers do an incredible, invaluable job and we welcome any initiative that will help make this more widely recognised and make the sector as good as it can be.
“As the priorities of the Workforce Strategy make clear, staff training is key to successful recruitment, retention and support of adult social care workers and will help ensure a good quality of life for those receiving care and support, now and in the future.
“We hope Skills for Care’s new campaign really can drive change across the sector and ensure that care workers are recognised for the amazing job they do and that the sector can attract and retain the right people to provide high quality, compassionate care for all those who need it.”
For more information on the training provided by FRT, please call them on freephone 0800 310 2300 or send an e-mail to info@firstresponsetraining.com.