A Workforce Strategy

for Adult Social Care in England

Created for the sector, by the sector

News and blogs

See the latest workforce strategy news and dive into our collection of blogs and articles where you'll find top tips, insights from others working in the sector, and round-ups of our key resources linked to the Workfoce Strategy. 

If you’d be interested in writing a blog or being interviewed please email Catriona.Wilson@skillsforcare.org.uk

In this section:

 

Celebrating one year of the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care

19 June 2025

People across adult social care are celebrating one year since the launch of the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care. The official anniversary is on Friday 18 July 2025.

The strategy was first shared in July 2024 and we are all looking ahead to what’s next.

The Workforce Strategy is the first-ever of its kind for the adult social care sector in England and has been hailed as a turning point for care.

Led by Skills for Care, the Strategy has been a collaborative effort across adult social care and partners from health and education. It was also created with people who draw on care and support.

Since its launch in 2024, over 50% of the 56 recommendations and commitments are either completed or in progress. Recommendations currently being implemented include joined-up, consistent action on pay; expanding care workers’ skills through the Care Workforce Pathway and developing a ‘People Promise’ for social care focused on improving pay, security of income, work-life balance and career development opportunities.

Over 409 individuals, organisations, and groups have signed up to become Workforce Strategy Champions, advocating for the Strategy, helping to amplify its messages and ensuring its successful implementation at various levels across adult social care.

The Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, has announced a commitment to dementia training for social care staff - a key recommendation of the Strategy, and many local authorities are mapping their local strategies against the Workforce Strategy. Additionally, Integrated care systems (ICSs) are also increasingly aligning their work with the Workforce Strategy.

Looking ahead, future actions from the Strategy include the development of a 10-year attraction plan focusing on men, younger people and people with technical skills; the consideration of a national leadership programme to attract graduates and career changers into social care, and looking into the benefits of creating a professional body for registered managers.

Sir David Pearson, co-chair of the Workforce Strategy Implementation Executive Oversight Group, says:

“The Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care is a crucial development for those of us who need care and support in this country. I am delighted with the progress that has been made in the first year since the launch of the strategy and to see so many individuals and organisations committed to putting the strategy into action.

“Building on what has been implemented so far and maintaining momentum across the sector and with the Government is critical over the next year."

Oonagh Smyth, CEO, Skills for Care says:

“I am incredibly excited by all elements of the Workforce Strategy – what we’ve achieved so far and what is to come next.

“I really believe that this is a once in a generation opportunity for us to build the workforce of the of the future.

“We are still at the very beginning, and we need an ongoing concerted effort to implement the Strategy over the long-term.

“With the demand for social care growing and changing as people live longer but not necessarily healthier, it’s important for everyone that we create a sustainable social care sector that meets the needs of our communities now and in the future.”

  • Watch these videos as national leaders and champions from the sector highlight how vital the Strategy is and how they have been using it.

  • Check out these anniversary resources to help you share your first year experiences.

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Jane Brightman, Director of Workforce Development at Skills for Care, reflects on the achievements of the Strategy one year since its launch.

24 June 2005

On 18 July 2024 we published the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care; a first of its kind strategy for the sector and a move that was widely hailed as a turning point for social care in England.

In the year since its launch, I’m delighted by the progress we’ve already seen.

The Strategy was developed for the sector by the sector. It’s a collaborative effort led by Skills for Care, including over 1,000 stakeholders alongside people who draw on care and support, health and education.

It sets out clear recommendations and commitments focused on three key areas: attract and retain, train, and transform.

Ultimately, it’s about finding and keeping the right people with the right skills working in social care, to provide the best possible care and support for the people who draw on it.

Since the launch of the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care, the sector has made some very meaningful strides in implementing its recommendations and promoting it in key spaces. This progress reflects a collective commitment to addressing key workforce challenges and transforming the future of adult social care, which is inspiring to see.

To read Jane's blog in full head to the Skills for Care website.

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Andrew Burridge, Northwest ADASS shares how blended roles are making a positive impact in Tameside

1 July 2025

Investment in blended roles is a key commitment of the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care. Andrew Burridge, Programme Manager, Northwest ADASS, shares how blended roles are working in Tameside.

Blended roles first came into place in the Tameside area around five years ago, and it was really driven forward in more recent years with the recruitment of a dedicated blended roles facilitator.

The purpose of blended roles is to allow care workers to carry out more clinical tasks such as insulin administration, catheter care and changing dressings.

It was thanks to good relationships between the local authority and local providers, and a willingness to try out something different that the idea for blended roles in Tameside was first sparked.

The first task which was introduced was insulin administration.

Initially there was of course some apprehension from both the health and care side – nurses were nervous to hand over their responsibility while care workers were unsure if they would have capacity to take on any new tasks. But alongside this there was an excitement to learn new skills.

It was good relationships which were again pivotal in the introduction of blended roles, in this case the good relationship and communication between care teams and district nurses. The work only furthered these relationships too, allowing each side to work closer together and get to know each other. This has longer term benefits too as improved communication between these teams means quicker health interventions when needed.

It was the nursing team who initially provided the training for care teams but ultimately the recruitment of a dedicated facilitator saw the training start to be delivered by them, which has been really effective. Care workers have praised the facilitators’ creative and thorough training methods which have made them feel much more confident carrying out clinical tasks.

Blended roles aren’t mandatory across all providers in the area but more and more providers are starting to work in this way.

There has been benefits for everyone. It frees up nursing teams to focus on other medical tasks; care workers are learning new skills making them feel more valued and motivated in their roles, and crucially it's meaning better, more consistent care for people supported. Less footfall of different people providing care brings many benefits for people supported including more personalised care and increased infection control.

An example of this has been that one person who draws on care and support said that because their care worker is now able to care for their dressing, they don’t need to wait until the day that their district nurse visits to have a shower. These types of changes are so freeing for people.

The impact is so much more than administration of tasks, it’s about real positive change for people.

We’ve got some top tips on our website about how to get started with blended roles, and some key dos and don’ts include:

  • DO invest time in building relationships between teams who will make change happen

  • DO ensure you’ve got senior level support before progressing

  • DO start small and grow your approach

  • DON’T start without district nursing support

  • DON’T overthink it

  • DON’T impose it

Find more information about how to implement blended roles and other supporting resources on the North West ADASS website.

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Care worker Kyly Chapman talks about her career in care and what the workforce strategy means to her.

9 July 2025

I never expected to end up working in care. I was made redundant from a supermarket role nine years ago and started working in a nursing home soon after before moving onto domiciliary care.

At the time, being made redundant was the worst thing that could happen but it completely changed my life for the better. I ended up in a job role I was passionate about; I learned so much about myself and it opened up a whole world of things I had no knowledge of as I was supporting people with health conditions I didn’t know about - mainly dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Moving into domiciliary care helped build my confidence. I had to learn to think for myself. I love getting to know people, learning about their lives and what makes them, them.

I’m excited for the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care as there’s so many positive elements of working in care which will be developed further. I’m also hopeful that it will change many challenges faced when it comes to care work; one of which is retaining staff. By improving pay, working conditions and the wellbeing of staff, people will want to stay in a job role which comes with so much reward – every day you’re making a difference to someone’s life. Supporting learning and development for care workers is also an important part of the Strategy.

Learning has helped to build my confidence, and I use this to support not only my clients but other people who work in the care sector.

I’ve completed a Level 2 NVQ in Health and Social Care and really enjoyed the dementia unit. Last year I I spent six months in my own time completing a course ay my local college on end of life care, as this is an area I’d love to work in one day.

I joined Homecare Voices over a year ago, a non-profit peer support network for homecare workers. I volunteer part-time for them and have attended seminars and meetings where I’ve had the opportunity to input things which I think would help improve social care. I also co-hosted an online meet up about end of life care using what I’d learned in my college course.

The care sector is constantly changing, people’s needs have changed, people are living at home for longer and we regularly face challenging situations. I used to think that care was just for old people but the youngest person I’ve supported was in their 20s and the oldest was 101. We support people of all ages and training needs to be relevant to reflect this.

I’m pleased that dementia training will be a focus of the Workforce Strategy as this is such a complex condition and you will not meet two people living with dementia that can be supported in the same way. By developing training people can be supported for longer in their own homes, the care and support they receive will be more person-centred and there will be less of a strain on the NHS.  

I’m hoping that the Workforce Strategy will change people’s perception of care workers. We’re often misunderstood; we’re very skilled and can do more than make a cup of tea. The recommendations from the Stratgey will also mean that care providers will have the confidence that they have highly-skilled and competent staff that enjoy their job and want to remain in the social care sector. 

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Moving forward with the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care

16 July 2025

Oonagh Smyth, CEO, Skills for Care and Sir David Pearson, Co-chairs of the Workforce Strategy Oversight Executive Group discuss why the Strategy is vital for social care and what must happen next to continue the progress made so far.

The one-year anniversary of the Strategy launch has created an important opportunity to reflect on the progress of Strategy so far; the many achievements that have been made, and what’s yet to come.

It’s been incredible to see so much buzz around the Strategy as we mark one year since its launch. This is really important because continued momentum is key to the Strategy’s success. It’s not a quick fix solution; it’s a 15-year plan to make a real, change to how social care operates for people who work in care and people who draw on care and support.

People working in social care are supporting our communities every day, and our needs are growing and changing. We're all living longer, but we're not living healthier.

We project that we're going to need an extra 540,000 people working in social care by 2040, this means we need to ensure that the needs of the country are met through excellent roles in social care. The Workforce Strategy is a way for us to achieve that.

We’re already taking strides towards those long-term ambitions, with 50% of the 56 recommendations and commitments within the strategy already completed or in progress.

One of the most exciting things about the Strategy is that it is truly a collective endeavour – across social care, health, education and alongside people with lived experience. What has been so inspiring over the past year is to see so many people take ownership for what they can do personally and in their own organisations to make the recommendations from the Strategy a reality.

Change happens when we work together, it’s about us all making a change in our own space, and that’s exactly what people have been doing.

This means we’ve seen exciting developments such as a new Care Technologist role being developed and piloted by the National Care Forum; a new programme for aspiring Directors of Adult Social Services launched by Skills for Care with support from ADASS, and local authorities and Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) mapping their strategies to the Workforce Strategy.

We’ve also seen some of the policy changes highlighted in the Strategy come to fruition. The Fair Pay Agreement currently being worked on by the Government alongside the sector has the potential to make a significant change for people working in care, and the terms and conditions of employment.

Of course, change also takes time. Social care is a huge sector; it employs more than 1.5 million people and makes up 5% of all jobs in England. That’s why we must all stay behind the Strategy and keep pushing it forward. Sometimes it’s only when we look back that we can see where all those little changes have stacked up to make one big difference.

That’s already the case one year in, and if we keep up the same momentum in five years; 10 years; 15 years those changes will be even greater.

It’s also important that we continue to reflect on and celebrate what we’ve achieved so far.

The commitment and determination of so many people to develop the Strategy, to publish it and then to make it happen is such an important thing for social care in this country and the people who access it.

It's a long-term strategy and the Oversight Executive Group will keep engaging in those constructive discussions with the Government and with the sector to encourage the implementation of all aspects of the Strategy.

We have the evidence base to know that the combined impact of all the recommendations and commitments will make a huge difference for social care and the people in our communities who rely on it, so keeping those conversations going, as well as building on the things that we can implement is critically important over the coming year.

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 Watch the launch of Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England July 2024 

Transcript for this video

Duration 1hour 14 minutes

 

 

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