Solving the annual £3bn recruitment and retention cost to Adult Social Care providers

SHADOW Minister Bill Esterson MP has met local apprentices working on a housing development in Merseyside to help promote National Apprenticeship Week.

Hosted by housebuilder Persimmon at their Summerhill Park development in Sefton, the Labour MP met apprentices horning their skills on the site which will deliver over 400 new homes when complete.

A group of construction students from Hugh Baird College in Liverpool were also on site trying their hand at bricklaying under the supervision of Persimmon's Regional Apprenticeship Manager.

The visit was part of an ongoing series of engagements organised by the housebuilder who has over 500 apprentices nationally with 40 working across the North West.

National Apprenticeship Week brings together businesses and apprentices across the country to shine a light on the difference that apprenticeships make to individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

Commentating on the visit, Bill Esterson, Shadow Minister and MP for Sefton Central said:- "It was great to visit Persimmon's Summerhill Park development in my constituency in Maghull. It's really encouraging to see the level of engagement with the community and local stakeholders. I really enjoyed interesting discussions around jobs and training and I look forward to seeing the rest of the development being built."

Ian Hilliker, Managing Director of Persimmon North West said:- "It's great to be able to host Mr Esterson and showcase the skills apprentices are putting to use on site and the support they receive from our Apprenticeship Managers. We're proud of the relationships we have with colleges here in Merseyside helping young people develop the skills they need to embark upon 1 of the many fulfilling careers construction has to offer."

More information about apprenticeships including openings can be found on the Government's apprenticeships portal Apprenticeships.Gov.UK.

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CARE England, the largest representative body of independent providers of Adult Social Care in England, has today launched an end to end solution to help care providers and Local Authorities solve the Adult Social Care workforce recruitment and retention conundrum.

Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said:- "The Adult Social Care workforce remains in a deep-rooted and systemic crisis. In the absence of meaningful Government intervention, it is incumbent upon the sector to explore innovative solutions to support their workforce and open doors to new opportunities for staff. Care England is pleased to have developed a unique initiative to help bring more domestic staff into care roles and support them to remain in the sector. With a third of the workforce leaving their roles every year, at a cost of over £6,000 per rehire, there is an annual £3bn cost to the sector which is simply unsustainable. We hope that our end to end solution will go some way in supporting care providers to navigate workforce challenges."

The care sector faces unprecedented challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified professionals, exacerbated by demographic change and increasing demand for care services.

Care England and Hft's 2023 Sector Pulse Check report cited workforce costs as the most significant financial pressure for Adult Social Care providers in 2023. Staffing shortages are having a profound impact on the viability of care providing organisations, staff and the people we support; due to staffing shortages in 2023, 44% of Adult Social Care providers turned down new admissions, 54% increased agency use and 18% had to close services altogether.

These challenges are likely to be compounded by the introduction of new measures that will restrict the flow of international recruits into the sector.

Care England has partnered with 4 organisations; Care Character, Care Friends, Jobtrain and Vivup; which, in isolation, have been shown to significantly improve recruitment and retention rates across the sector. By bringing these services together, they collectively offer an end to end solution to address the current sector wide vacancy rate, the quality and development of carers, lower turnover rates and significantly reduce costs for providers.

Professor Martin Green continues:- "Workforce recruitment and retention is the single biggest issue affecting our sector, with serious implications for the quality of care and knock-on effects across the NHS and wider economy. Time and time again, national campaigns have sought to generate an interest in Social Care with limited results. Care England's end to end solution has the potential to fundamentally shift the recruitment and retention practices in the Social Care sector, improving outcomes for those who draw on care and support, staff and care providers."

Will Shepherd, CEO of Cohesion (Social Care Recruitment Specialists) and Founder of Care Character says:- "Recruitment and retention challenges in Social Care are deep rooted, presenting ongoing hurdles for care providers of all sizes and settings. At Care Character, we are proud to have developed a psychometric assessment tool tailored to the unique demands of the care sector, which is delivering positive transformations in both recruitment and retention. We are delighted to share a platform with other innovative organisations thanks to Care England's determination to make a difference in this field, welcoming a comprehensive end to end solution that focuses on quality and results."