New research shows 52,000 people filled social care roles in 2024/25, bringing vacancy rates down to 131,000.
Today (July 29th) Skills for Care published their annual ‘Size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England’ report. Its contents cast both an encouraging and concerning backdrop.
The findings, which cover the last 12 months to March 2025, reveal vacancy rates fell to 7% – a figure that was seen prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Within the last year, experts found the number of filled posts increased by 3.4% (the equivalent to 52,000) to 1.6 million – the second highest rise since records began.
What’s more, the report, which can be accessed here, also outlined the turnover rate in the independent sector reduced from 25.8% in 2023/24, to 24.7% in 2024/25.
Oonagh Smyth, CEO of Skills for Care, has described these findings as ‘encouraging’ but warned now is not the time for the sector to become complacent.
‘It’s important to recognise that, while the vacancy rates in social care have reduced, it’s still three times that of the wider economy,’ Oonagh said. ‘And the data shows that we’ll still need 470,000 more posts by 2040, so all of us in adult social care need to stay focused on workforce issues.’
With this in mind, the report highlights domestic recruitment still remains a big problem. Experts have expressed concerns that the new immigration rules, which came into force this month, ‘will make it more challenging for the sector to continue to grow in line with demand’.
The report found the number of social care jobs being filled by British nationals fell by 85,000 since the pandemic and an estimated 50,000 people arrived from overseas in 2024/25 to work within the independent care sector.
Commenting on the news, Kathryn Marsden OBE, chief executive of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), said: ‘The system is precariously dependent on overseas workers, who make up a growing proportion of new starters. This overreliance is not a sustainable strategy, and it leaves the entire care system vulnerable to policy changes and political headwinds beyond its control.
‘’SCIE welcomes the sector-wide collaboration led by Skills for Care in shaping the workforce strategy for adult social care. It provides a strong, shared foundation to tackle urgent challenges around recruitment, retention, and workforce stability.
‘We now call on the government to work with the sector to prioritise and implement key elements of the strategy, particularly around pay, career progression, training, and wellbeing. Achieving parity of esteem with the NHS is not only fair but essential, given the critical role the adult social care workforce will play in enabling the success of the 10-Year Health Plan and ensuring people receive care closer to home.’
In similar vein, Dara de Burca, executive director of dementia support and partnerships at Alzheimer’s Society, added: ‘While it’s encouraging to see a reduction in vacancies within the adult social care sector in England, it remains troubling that vacancy rates are still three times higher than in other sectors.’
‘Many people affected by dementia rely heavily on the support of professional care workers, with most care home residents living with the condition,’ Dara continued. ‘We must continue to work collectively, across the sector and across government, to build a workforce that is well-equipped to consistently deliver high-quality, personalised care to those living with dementia.’
Photo by Clem Onojeghuo via UnSplash
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