Inquiry into workforce burnout

Care England, the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care, has submitted written evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into workforce burnout and resilience in the NHS and social care.

The inquiry examines workforce burnout across the NHS and social care. It will consider increased pressures brought about by COVID-19 and the resilience of services to cope with high levels of staff stress.

Professor Martin Green OBE, chief executive of Care England, said: ‘The adult social care workforce is the frontline and needs the same access to resources as colleagues in the NHS in order to cope with the additional demands upon it.

‘Out of all of the hardship which has stemmed from COVID-19 there needs to be a positive trend towards professionalisation and reward in the adult social care sector

‘While the workforce is resilient it is only as resilient as the funding and support behind it hence the need for adequate long-term support for the sector.’

The adult social care workforce is the sector’s biggest resource. Before the pandemic it faced many adverse trends including absenteeism, recruitment, retention and turnover. COVID-19 has made some of these issues even more acute in the short term.

Ultimately, during this time of crisis, social care providers should be given the necessary resources to allow them to focus solely upon providing care and support to some of society’s most vulnerable, as opposed to having to engage in a piecemeal manner with local authorities and CCGs.

Maintaining the financial sustainability of social care providers is, in fact, of fundamental importance in maintaining the capacity of the integrated health and care system and the resilience of the adult social care workforce.

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