London, 2nd July 2026
Improvement Is Not the Same as Fair: The Care Workers’ Charity Responds to DHSC’s Adult Social Care Workforce Survey Report 2026
The Care Workers’ Charity (The CWC) has today urged caution against complacency in adult social care, as comparative analysis of its 2025 Care Worker Wellbeing Survey alongside the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) Adult Social Care Workforce Survey Report reveals a workforce still in crisis, despite pockets of improvement.
DHSC’s wave 2 survey shows some encouraging national trends: financial security among the adult social care workforce has improved by 12 percentage points, rising to 44%, while feelings of being supported in the role have increased by 7 percentage points to 71%. Life satisfaction has also improved, with 51% of the workforce now rating it as high or very high, up ten points since wave 1.
Yet The CWC’s own survey of over 2000 care workers paints a starkly different picture for many in the workforce. 72.06% of respondents said they do not feel financially secure, with 81.12% stating they had been directly impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. While DHSC’s data shows anxiety holding steady at 40%, The CWC’s figures show 42.10% of respondents reporting they have been feeling unhappy or depressed, with over a third saying their job negatively affects their mental health.
The disparity is stark when it comes to financial hardship. Even with DHSC’s reported improvement, 56% of the national workforce still say they do not have financial security. The CWC’s own data shows this experience driving people to extreme measures: 28.68% had relied on food banks, and 10.80% had used a loan shark or payday loan company.
The picture on safety is equally concerning. DHSC’s wave 2 data shows 41% of the adult social care workforce have experienced physical violence from those they care for at least once in the past year, nearly three times the rate reported by NHS staff. The CWC’s
own findings echo this, with 74.14% of respondents reporting they have experienced or witnessed physical or verbal abuse, bullying or harassment at work, with 21.33% of respondents not reporting when it comes from managers or colleagues rather than those drawing on care.
Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, said:
“We welcome any sign of improvement in the lives of care workers, and it is right that progress, however incremental, is recognised. However, we cannot allow modest gains to distract from the scale of what remains unresolved. When over half the workforce still has no financial security, when four in five have been hit by the cost-of-living crisis, and when care workers are turning to food banks and payday loans just to get by, that is not a sector on the path to fairness. Care workers need fair pay, professional recognition and a system that values their skill and responsibility as much as it depends on it. Anything less is simply asking care workers to wait longer for the dignity and respect they have already earned.”
The CWC is calling on Government, employers and policymakers to treat fair pay, professionalisation and recognition of the adult social care workforce as immediate priorities, not long-term aspirations. We continue to call for the swift implementation of a fully funded Fair Pay Agreement, embedded mental health and wellbeing support across the sector, and a sector-wide approach to tackling violence, harassment and bullying experienced by care workers.
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