NCF respond to the Skills for Care report 2025

Progress and Pressures in England’s Social Care Workforce

Skills for Care’s 2025 report on the state of the adult social care sector provides the most comprehensive picture yet of the workforce behind England’s care system. Drawing on data from over 700,000 staff across 20,000 care locations, the report highlights both encouraging signs of recovery and ongoing structural challenges that demand urgent attention.

Key findings from the report

The report shows a workforce of 1.6 million filled posts in 2024/25 — an increase of 52,000 on the previous year — with vacancy rates down to 7%, their lowest level since before the pandemic. Turnover has also fallen to 23.1%, and there are early signs of improved staff retention.

However, many of these gains have been driven by international recruitment, with around 50,000 overseas recruits joining the workforce in the past year. The number of British nationals working in the sector has continued to fall, and Skills for Care warns that future immigration rule changes could reverse recent progress.

Other key points include:

• Pay: The median hourly rate for care workers is now £12.00, just 56p above the National Living Wage, and experienced staff earn on average only 7p more per hour than new starters.
• Employment conditions: Around 21% of care workers are on zero-hours contracts, though this has fallen slightly since 2020.
• Training and qualifications: Just under half (45%) of staff hold a relevant social care qualification, though 63% have completed or are working towards the Care Certificate.
• Workforce projections: To meet future demand, the adult social care workforce will need to grow by 470,000 posts by 2040, matching a projected 27% rise in the population aged over 65.

The NCF response: progress, but fragility remains

In response, Vic Rayner, CEO of the National Care Forum (NCF), welcomed the signs of growth and stability but warned that the sector remains fragile. She noted that while “workforce growth, falling vacancy rates and reduced turnover all deserve celebration,” the reliance on international recruitment masks deeper recruitment and retention issues at home.

Rayner emphasised that without a sustainable domestic workforce plan, the improvements seen this year could prove short-lived. Vacancy rates remain three times higher than the wider economy, and tens of thousands of British workers continue to leave the sector each year.

She called for immediate investment in pay, terms and conditions, highlighting that the minimal difference in pay between new and experienced care workers is “unsustainable.” The Fair Pay Agreement proposed by government, she said, is a vital opportunity — but it must be backed by long-term funding and infrastructure.

Building a sustainable future

Skills for Care’s Chief Executive, Professor Oonagh Smyth, echoed the call for realism, noting that “with international recruitment still driving improvements, a declining number of British nationals in the workforce – and falling qualification levels – we need to be realistic about the challenges we still face.”

Both organisations agree that the solution lies in creating a thriving, skilled domestic workforce supported by fair pay, professional recognition, and strong career pathways. As the NCF noted, the forthcoming Autumn Budget is an opportunity for government to invest in a workforce strategy that reflects the vital role of social care in enabling people “to live full and independent lives.”

Read more about:

The National Care Forum (NCF) here

Skills for Care here 

BCOP is a proud member of the National Care Forum, working alongside other not-for-profit care providers to support older people and promote quality, person-centred care.