The Care Workers’ Charity responds to Care England’s The Overlooked Majority, welcoming its central finding that inequality in care is experienced far more often than it is recognised.
London, 8th June 2026
The Care Workers’ Charity (CWC) welcomes The Overlooked Majority: Gender Inequality in the Care Sector by Care England, a report we were glad to support by distributing its survey through our networks. Its central finding, that gender inequality in care is experienced far more often than it is recognised, reflects what care workers tell us every day.
The structural picture is stark. Women are 78% of the workforce, yet men hold 58.8% of board-level positions while making up just 22% of it. Most telling, 64% of respondents said gender had not influenced their progression, then went on to describe gendered barriers when asked what had held them back. That gap between experience and recognition is what allows inequality in this sector to persist.
What we would add is that this inequality does not begin in the boardroom. It runs through the pay packet and the daily working life of the frontline majority. Care England found 45% of women respondents carry unpaid caring responsibilities alongside their role, and 22% had experienced sexual harassment from a colleague. Our own 2025 Wellbeing Survey of more than 2,000 care workers found 72% do not feel financially secure and 33.42% had experienced or witnessed bullying, harassment or verbal abuse at work. The barriers women face at the top are connected to the pressures the workforce absorbs at the bottom, and for migrant and Global Majority care workers, they compound further.
Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive of The Care Workers’ Charity, said:
“Care England has named something care workers have long understood: that inequality in this sector is so normalised it often goes unspoken. That so many women did not name it, then described it in detail, tells us how much work there is to do. What we ask of providers and government now is that solutions are built with care workers, not designed around them. We invite Care England and sector partners to bring care workers into this work directly, including through our Care Worker Advisory Board.”
What needs to change
The Care Workers’ Charity is calling for:
- Providers to act on the report’s recommendations, including fairer progression, flexible working that does not penalise caring responsibilities, and stronger support around menopause and harassment.
- Government and DHSC to tackle the structural barriers identified, including affordable childcare aligned to care sector shifts, and pay transparency that is enforced, not just reported.
- Change co-produced with care workers themselves, so recognition translates into change they can feel.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Interviews available:
- Karolina Gerlich, Chief Executive of The Care Workers’ Charity, available for TV, radio and print interviews. Karolina is a former care worker, regularly briefs MPs and government on social care workforce policy, and has been quoted in national media including BBC News, the Guardian and the Times.
- Debbie Arnold, Campaign Spokesperson, available for TV, radio and print interviews.
- Care workers with lived experience: CWC can connect journalists with care workers willing to speak on the record about pay, working conditions, and reliance on the charity’s hardship grants. Case studies available on request.
About The Care Workers’ Charity (CWC) The Care Workers’ Charity is the only UK charity dedicated to supporting paid care workers across the social care sector. We have provided over £6.8 million in crisis grants to over 13,800 care workers since 2020. We offer mental well-being support to care workers, ensuring they receive assistance during challenging times. The CWC provides accredited Mental Health First Aid training to care workers and other staff and advocates for policy changes to improve lives and working conditions in the UK. We participate in government roundtables, academic forums, and policy discussions, sharing insights from our grant applicants’ experiences. To learn more about our mission and initiatives, visit www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk.
Registered charity no. 1207208. Registered office: Rushworth Studios, 2 Rushworth Street, London, SE1 0RB.
Broadcast-ready clips, b-roll, photography and care worker case studies available on request.
Media contact: Shanna Wells | shanna@thecwc.org.uk | 07930 992443