England's Adult Social Care Workforce Grows at Slowest Rate in Four Years

The finding comes from the organisation's annual report on the state of the adult social care workforce in England, as reported by Healthcare Leader. The report says staffing numbers have now grown for four years in a row. It also says vacancies are at their lowest level in a decade.

That is a mixed picture for providers and investors. Lower vacancies suggest staffing is more stable. Slower growth suggests it will be harder to add capacity. Skills for Care also reported fewer British workers in the sector, while international recruitment has fallen significantly. The report describes this as an ongoing challenge for employers.

The most useful finding for operators is about retention. According to the report, turnover among care workers fell from 34.3% to 15.3% at employers that combined competitive pay, guaranteed hours, training, qualifications and full-time employment opportunities. Turnover also fell from 28.3% to 20.6% as the experience of registered managers increased. The source does not give the cost of these measures, so the net effect on operating costs cannot be judged from this report alone.

The report also links workforce conditions to quality. Higher staffing ratios and pay, more training, greater uptake of the care certificate standards and lower vacancy rates were associated with stronger Care Quality Commission ratings. The report describes an association, not proof of cause. For providers, the link may matter because quality ratings are likely to bear on how they are viewed, though the source does not say so.

Younger workers are a weak point. Young people make up 7% of the workforce in 2025/26, compared with 12% of England's economically active population. Turnover among workers under the age of 25 was 35.5% between March 2025 and March 2026, the highest of any age group. Skills for Care warned that attracting younger workers will matter more as growth slows and international recruitment declines.

Policy may shape the next phase. The report was published weeks after Prime Minister Andy Burnham set out plans for a National Care Service. Health secretary Yvette Cooper has said an adult social care workforce plan will be released by the end of the year. Skills for Care chief executive Professor Oonagh Smyth said: "there can be no sustainable reform of care without a sustainable, skilled and valued workforce." She also called for scaling up the Care Workforce Pathway, a career framework launched in 2024. According to the report, 26% of employers polled use it.

Sir Ciarán Devane, chief executive of the NHS Alliance, said the government must make sure social care is "a great place to work" as it plans a better funded, universal national care service. The source gives no details on funding or pay terms.

What to watch next

The government's adult social care workforce plan, due by the end of the year, and whether it sets out pay, training and recruitment measures for providers.

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