This October, Skills for Care are highlighting the importance of data for driving change in the sector, with their ‘Making a difference with data’  campaign. It will shine a spotlight on the vital nature of data to our sector, how it’s used and how employers can contribute by using the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS). Check out the campaign webpage for more information or follow along on social media #datadriveschange. 

It’s the perfect time to celebrate what data can do as Skills for Care have just launched their latest edition of ‘The State of the Adult Social Care sector and workforce in England’. It shows key trends in the workforce covering topics like recruitment and retention, demographics, future projections, international recruitment, pay and more. There is also a section which analyses the factors which affect turnover rates and CQC ratings.

There are lots of insights to explore, but here are some of the headlines from 2023/24: 

• 1.705 million filled posts and 131,000 vacant posts bringing the total number of posts in adult social care to 1.84 million. These are the highest levels of total posts and filled posts on record. 
• Turnover rates for care workers (29.9%) and registered managers (19.4%) were at their lowest points since 2017/18.
• The proportion of male workers, which was historically stagnant at 18%, has increased over the last few years to reach 21% in 2023/24. 
• The average age of the local authority and independent adult social care workforce has been increasing steadily since 2012/13, however in 2023/24 the average age was 43.7, almost a year younger than in 2022/23.
• These changes in demographics, and the overall increase in filled posts, have been influenced by an increase in international recruitment over the same period as internationally recruited workers were more likely to be male (29%) and an average age of 34.1.

Over 20,000 care providers contribute to the vital database which means Skills for Care can produce these figures. The Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) allows care providers to make their voices heard, and it provides useful tools and benefits to use in their organisations.

One benefit is access to the new Learning and Development Support Scheme, which allows care providers to claim funding for training their staff. The Workforce Development Fund is also taking claims this year. You can also use the service to manage your staff and training records, get alerts when training is due to expire, benchmark your workforce metrics against similar providers and claim discounts and offers through the Benefits Bundle. Find out more about joining ASC-WDS.