The Social Care Exodus: One in three social carers plan to leave the sector in the next five years

New research from Totaljobs reveals one in three (37%) social carers are looking to leave the sector within the next five years. This equates to over half a million workers potentially leaving the sector. This research sheds further light on the state of the UK’s social care sector, considered to be in crisis according to three quarters (76%) of MPs in a recent independent poll.

These staff shortages may arrive sooner, as one fifth (20%) of social carers are already actively looking for roles outside the sector, considering taking their transferable skills to careers in healthcare (51%), retail (43%) and hospitality (24%). One in five (19%) plan to leave the social care sector within the next two years, and this figure increases to over half (57%) expecting to exit the sector within the next decade.

Concerningly, the sector will need a further 650,000 workers by 2035 to meet the increased need for care services as a result of the UK’s ageing population, which will see one in five people over the age of 65 by 2030. This means the sector may face a staffing deficit of over 1.2 million workers by the middle of the next decade, begging the question: how is the UK going to care for those that need it?

Over 170,000 applications were made to social care roles on Totaljobs in the first half of 2019, with an average of 12 applications for each role advertised. In fact, applications have risen by 13% compared to last year, a clear silver lining. However, we cannot ignore the bigger picture that shows the sector is still facing an increasing shortage of workers.

A lack of new talent

The demand for social carers is not being met, partly due to a lack of entry level talent. Most of Gen Z (56% of 18-25-year olds) wouldn’t consider a career in the sector. This could be due to a lack of awareness, as over half (53%) of Gen Z reported that teachers, parents or friends have never spoken to them about a career in social care.

More widely, the research revealed that Brits overwhelmingly respect and value social workers with 90% believing that social carers are essential in society. However, two thirds of people (67%) have stated that they wouldn’t ever consider a career in social care, citing concerns over low pay (42%), emotionally challenging work (41%) and perceptions of unappealing work (29%).

For those in the sector, 70% of social carers believe colleagues are leaving the sector due to their working environment, and 80% argue that they are leaving due to pay. The latter suggests a need for greater transparency around career and salary progression, for those inside as well as outside of the sector, to increase awareness of the opportunities available.

It’s essential that employers take steps to successfully attract, recruit and retain social carers, to secure the future of the sector and ensure people get the care they need.

A sector in need of change

Despite the number of social carers looking to leave the sector, nearly seven out of 10 (68%) would recommend a career in social care, making it clear that they value their work. This passion means many social carers would be keen to stay if improvements are on the horizon. Social carers are proud of the work they do (81%), naming the best bits about working in the sector as building relationships with those they care for (60%) and being able to give back to society (58%).