Care workers have taken charge of the national care recruitment crisis

Carers in England have been placed at the heart of the recruitment drive following the launch of Housing 21’s campaign to tackle staff shortages.

Care workers within Housing 21, a leading national Retirement Living and Extra Care provider for older people across England, are leading a major recruitment campaign to help tackle the need for carers in the sector. 

The not-for-profit organisation has unveiled the ‘Your Inner Care Shows You Extra Care’ (YICSYEC) campaign, which features four of its own employees and a number of residents.

YICSYEC aims to show how many of us have always had the qualities needed for a career in care and have never thought about how rewarding a job in care could be.

Housing 21’s campaign comes at a challenging time for care as vacancies in the sector have risen by more than 50%, with one in 10 social care posts unfilled and research by Florence, a tech platform providing health and social care workers access to their shifts, found 43% of workers are considering a job change due to current pressures. 

Kris Peach, Executive Director for Extra Care at Housing 21 said: ‘Caring for others is rewarding and something that many people have experience of, even if they don’t realise it.

‘Our campaign looks to highlight how many of us have the potential for a successful career in care.

‘By featuring our own people and residents, we are showing the very real and human side of the job, and hopefully helping people see themselves in the role.’

Housing 21 is leading the way in ensuring care is seen as a career with lots of potential and not just a job. The provider pays at least 10% above the National Living Wage.

Earlier this year, the organisation launched a first-of-its-kind Extra Care Academy which offers care workers a training route into management roles, with the potential to earn £50k+ salaries. The first cohort began last month. 

Photo by Cytonn Photography