Urgent, Practical Action is Needed Now to Tackle Adult Social Care Workforce Crisis: The Care Workers’ Charity Responds to Re:State ‘Care To Stay’ Report.
A new report from the think tank Re:State has set out a practical, place-based strategy for tackling the crisis facing England’s adult social care workforce, warning that chronic recruitment and retention problems cannot wait for wider funding reform to be resolved.
Care work remains one of the most demanding jobs, both physically and emotionally, yet the people doing it are too often left without the support they need. Of care workers looking to leave the sector, 67% cite the impact of their job on their health and wellbeing as a reason, making it jointly the most common cause of departure alongside low pay. Despite this, only around 16% of the workforce have ever accessed therapy services, a gap highlighted in The CWC’s own 2025 Care Worker Wellbeing Report.
This is a workforce operating under sustained pressure. Vacancy rates stood at 6.8% in 2024-25, equivalent to around 111,000 unfilled posts, while turnover remained high at 23.7%. Every care worker lost is a loss of experience and of the trust built with the people they support. Demand for care is only set to grow, with an additional 470,000 later-life social care posts needed by 2040.
The report sets out 14 recommendations across four areas: boosting workforce productivity through better use of technology, improving physical and mental health support, tackling unsafe working conditions and poor organisational culture, and reforming how local authorities commission care. It also calls for a voluntary, light touch register for care workers, incentivised through measures such as a free Blue Light Card, to help build a stronger professional identity across the sector.
Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity said:
“Care workers give everything to a job that asks a great deal of them, physically and emotionally, and too many are doing so without the support they need. We are proud to have contributed to this research, and we welcome its central argument: that we cannot wait for a funding settlement before making meaningful improvements to care workers’ lives.
Better mental health support, safer working conditions and simple recognition of the pressures this job brings are all things providers and local authorities can act on now. That is why we support the recommendations set out in today’s report from Re:State, and why we will keep pushing for care workers’ wellbeing to be treated as a priority, not an afterthought.
Every person who leaves this sector because they were not properly supported is a loss we cannot afford, for care workers themselves and for those drawing on care and support.”
The Care Workers’ Charity remains firmly committed to advocating for adult social care workers and championing their voices. We are calling on all stakeholders across the sector, including policy makers and Government, to recognise the adult social care workforce as vital and essential, and to invest in their pay and wellbeing through fully ring-fenced funding.
For further information, please contact Jade Dewey at the Care Workers Charity: jade@thecwc.org.uk.
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.
- Care workers with experience: The 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 £6.9 million in crisis grants to14,203 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, 63 Webber Street, London SE1 0QW. www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk
Broadcast-ready clips, b-roll, photography and care worker case studies available on request.
Media contact: Shanna Wells | shanna@thecwc.org.uk | 07930 992443