How to Recruit, Train and Retain a Diverse and Skilled Social Care Workforce
The social care sector faces many challenges in attracting and retaining a workforce that can meet the diverse and complex needs of people who use care and support services. According to Skills for Care, there were an estimated 112,000 vacancies in adult social care at any given time in 2020/21. Moreover, the turnover rate of staff was 30.4%, meaning that around 440,000 workers left their roles every year.
So how can social care providers recruit, train and retain a diverse and skilled workforce that can deliver high-quality care and support? Here are some tips based on best practices and evidence from the sector:
Recruit to retain: At Island Healthcare we use values-based recruitment methods to attract people who share our organisation's vision, mission and culture. This helps us find candidates who are motivated by making a positive difference in people's lives, rather than just looking for a job. We also use the Care Friends app, which allows our existing staff to refer their friends and family to work for us and earn rewards.
Offer good working conditions and remove barriers to working: This one of the most challenging areas for providers but at Island Healthcare we are committed to providing fair pay, flexible hours, regular breaks, safe equipment and supportive supervision for our staff. These factors can influence their job satisfaction, wellbeing and retention. Removing any barriers that might prevent people from joining or staying in our workforce, such as lack of transport, language skills or qualifications is also key.
Understand your workforce and what motivates them: We conduct regular surveys, appraisals and feedback sessions with our staff to find out what they like and dislike about their work, what challenges they face and what support they need. This helps us tailor our training, development and recognition programmes to suit their needs and aspirations.
Ensure wellbeing is on everyone's agenda: We aspire to creating a positive and psychologically safe work environment at Island Healthcare where staff feel valued, respected, supported and safe to speak up without fear of repirasal. We provide access to mental health services such as counselling for staff who may be experiencing stress or burnout.
Invest in the workforce and their careers: We are incredibly proud of the training program offered at Island Healthcare, we prioritise the learning and development of our teams and provide a blended programe of learning which include face-to-face, e-learning and external courses. This helps our teams deliver better care outcomes for people who use services as well as enhance their confidence and competence. We also offer routes of career progression for our staff such as apprenticeships and hopefully, in the future, T-Levels which can help them gain qualifications while working. We are currently developing a Future Leaders programs which recognises and supports our future leaders with mentoring and coaching.
Recognise and reward good work: Showing appreciation for our staff's hard work and achievements is a critical part of what we do. By saying thank you, giving feedback, awarding certificates or bonuses (we use Care Friends for this), or organising social events we remind our staff they are essential and highly valued members of our organisation. We also try to involve our staff in decision-making processes and seek their input on service improvement initiatives.
By following these tips, you can recruit, train and retain a diverse and skilled social care workforce that can provide high-quality care and support for people who use services. This will benefit not only your organisation, but also the sector as a whole.
Why not find out for yourself by applying to Island Healthcare today for a rewarding career in Adult Social Care.
