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Social Care

Adult Social care

Work stability, being paid a “living” wage, the opportunity to train and progress are key dimensions of what we would describe as “good jobs”. Despite high demand for social care workers in the context of a rapidly ageing population across the OECD, the sector consistently fails to attract and retain workers. In the UK social care has one of the highest turnover of staff.

A report from Skills for Care (PDF) highlights 5 key factors in the retention of social care staff:

  • Being paid more than the minimum wage
  • Not being on a zero-hours contract
  • Being able to work full time
  • Being able to access training
  • Having a relevant qualification.

Stability of work, being paid a “living” wage, the opportunity to train and progress; these are all key requirements in what we would describe as “good jobs”. But it is clear that the social care sector does not consistently provide these. Social care is the fastest growing sector of government funded employment across advanced industrial economies but also has one of the highest turnover of staff.

The Activating Employers project asks how regulatory initiatives in public contracting can create quality jobs for skilled workers whose value has yet to be recognised by commissioners and contractors alike. In an expanding industry which often employs immigrant workers, the ability to recognise and incorporate best practice into social care commissioning could have a transformative effect of the work and life quality of some of society’s most disadvantaged groups.

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