Skills for Care commissions, supports and delivers research to help achieve our vision and mission.
Skills for Care is a commissioner, a provider and an influencer of research into the adult social care workforce. We have a focus on applied, practical research and evaluation.
We benefit from strong partnerships and relationships with a broad range of stakeholders in the sector.
We're a partner of the IMPACT Centre – the UK Centre for Evidence Implementation in Adult Social Care; and we support the Centre for Care. We're members of the Social Research Association and the Charity Evaluation Working Group.
Our research principles are:
- transparency
- collaboration
- horizon scanning
- rigour and impact
- equality, diversity and inclusion.
Economic and social value of the UK adult social care sector: England
Skills for Care was the first organisation to commission research into the economic value of adult social care in England and regularly update it.
For this most recent project Skills for Care and Development commissioned Alma Economics to analyse the adult social care sector’s economic and social value in the UK as a whole and in each of the four nations using data from 2022/23.
It’s used to inform the economic case for investment in the social care sector and its workforce in the UK as a whole (as well as having national breakdowns). It’s also used to inform policy-making and national spending review decisions on investment.
The total direct, indirect, and induced value of the adult social care sector in England was £60.2 billion.
The socioeconomic benefits of the adult social care sector in England were £265 billion, while the costs were £110 billion (2023). This means that for every £1 spent in the sector, there was £2.40 in socioeconomic benefits.
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Download the report into the economic and social value of the UK adult social care sector in 2023. Research undertaken by Alma Economics and prepared for Skills for Care and Development.
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Download the summary report into the economic and social value of the UK adult social care sector in 2023. Research undertaken by Alma Economics and prepared for Skills for Care and Development.
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See a visual representation of the economic value of the social care sector using data from 2023 and 2024.
NB It is important to note that the findings are not necessarily comparable [with previous reports] due to differences in (i) data; (ii) methodology; and (iii) other external factors. As a result, we cannot [Alma Economics was unable to] comment on the causes of any changes in figures since 2016, since these are not necessarily attributable to the sector itself
The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report 2024 uses this data in section 1.3 - 'Economic contribution' of the report.
Self-employed PAs (SEPAs)
We commissioned the Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE) to produce a review of the published literature around the following themes:
1. National policy and regulation relating to using direct payments and Personal Health Budgets (PHBs) to engage personal assistants (PAs)
2. Trends and preferences for accessing care and support at home
3. Attitudes towards and support for using SEPAs
4. How the local market for SEPAs operates
5. Support and guidance needed by SEPAs
6. Issues faced by and views of PA employers and people who engage SEPAs
Self-employed personal assistants (SEPAs) in adult social care - A review of literature (October 2022)
Benefits of recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce
We commissioned ICF to undertake a literature review of the benefits of recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. The review found evidence to suggest a positive link between diversity and business performance, reduced costs and improved quality of care. Critical success factors include Leadership Team buy-in and putting policies in place.
Read a summary of the review and a list of tools and resources available to support employers.
What works in retaining staff in adult social care
Our State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England 2022 report showed that pay, travel to work distances, training and qualifications, and contract type are all factors that affect an employee's propensity to remain in an adult social care job.
Our study into new starters in adult social care found the best ways to retain new starters are to:
- avoid zero-hours contracts
- focus support on young starters
- use values-based recruitment and retention practices
- train new starters and aim to equip them with a social care qualification, to support their retention in adult social care, beginning with the Care Certificate
- recruit locally, pay well and support staff wellbeing
- provide high-quality induction and buddy schemes, clearer career pathways and ongoing training opportunities.
The second phase of the research will involve case studies of employers who have successfully retained new starters, for others to learn from.
In February 2021 we published an evidence review that showed that high turnover rates in adult social care are driven by a poor understanding of social care, lack of development and progression opportunities, job insecurity, low pay and poor terms and conditions.
Solutions to these challenges include values-based recruitment and retention, workforce planning, workforce development, career pathways, alternative delivery models and changing perceptions of social care.
Find out more information on these topic areas (informed by our research):
Evidence review
This evidence review looked in depth at the workforce issues and opportunities faced by the adult social care sector. The review encompassed 190 academic, policy and other research and intelligence sources, and involved 13 stakeholder consultations.
This report informed our three-year strategy for Skills for Care and, we hope, has also informed the broader debate across the sector. The challenges and opportunities identified are not new:
- overcoming recruitment and retention problems
- workforce development; and
- supporting workforce equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing.
Download the evidence review and sector consultation