Less than a third of social care professionals are either ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ confident in their ability to sustain their business over the next year.
The National Care Awareness Survey was conducted in collaboration with the Care Workers’ Charity, National Care Forum and the National Care Association. The remaining 70% of those surveyed were ‘somewhat’ confident (34%), not so (24%) and not at all (12%).
Other findings showed 72% of carers think their salaries are unfair; 78% do not feel supported by the social care system; and only 61% plan to stay in the sector in the next 12 months.
Apart from Covid being a significant challenge, respondents also listed recruitment and retention, social care perception, funding, and lack of training as main issues. The most frequent suggestion to overcome challenges was to increase funding, with some calling for a National Care Service, which both Scotland and Wales are looking at.
Nadra Ahmed OBE, executive chair of the National Care Association, explained, “The only way to deliver quality care to those who need it most is to have a vibrant, skilled and competent workforce – without them any attempts to provide care and support is a pipe dream. We need a confident workforce who feel valued, acknowledged and rewarded for what they do and believe that the pathway they are on will be one which is a recognised career.”
More than 400 care home and homecare professionals took part in the survey.
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