The latest Skills for Care report paints a mixed but encouraging picture for adult social care. After several turbulent years, the sector appears to be stabilising, with steady growth, lower vacancy rates, and improving staff retention. Yet, beneath the surface, the data still tells a story of imbalance: recruitment challenges, demographic shifts, and the urgent need to attract and retain the next generation of care professionals.

Signs of Recovery

The adult social care sector contributes an estimated £77.8 billion to the economy in England each year – up 12.2% from 2023/24. It’s a huge achievement for a sector that’s often under-recognised, and testament to the impact of around 1.5 million people working across care settings in England.

The number of filled posts grew by 52,000 (3.4%), while vacancies dropped to 7%, back to pre-COVID levels. That means around 111,000 vacancies on any given day.

Changing Workforce Dynamics

One striking trend is the decline in international recruitment, which fell by 53% to around 50,000 recruits. While international recruitment has been a lifeline for many providers, this dip along with changes to rules around international recruitment reinforces the need to build sustainable domestic recruitment pipelines: developing, supporting, and retaining our talent.

At the same time, the number of posts filled by British nationals continued to fall – down by 30,000 this year and 85,000 since 2020/21. This ongoing reduction highlights the importance of making social care an attractive, long-term career choice.

Retention on the Rise

The sector’s overall turnover rate now sits at 23.1%, down from previous years. Encouragingly, turnover among care and support workers (28.5%) and registered managers (17%) is at its lowest in the reporting period.

This is an area we’re particularly passionate about, because better retention doesn’t just happen by chance. It’s driven by strong leadership, values alignment, and effective onboarding and support systems. Where organisations are investing in these areas, we know it can really pay off.

The Leadership Challenge

There are around 26,400 registered managers in post across nearly 30,000 CQC-regulated establishments. But with a manager vacancy rate of 11.4%, equivalent to 3,400 vacant posts, leadership remains a pressure point.

Registered managers are the backbone of quality and culture in social care. Supporting and developing them, both through tailored recruitment and retention strategies, is critical if the sector is to maintain momentum and reduce turnover further.

Demographics and the Future Workforce

The average age of a care worker is 44, with 27% aged 55+. Meanwhile, only 7% of the workforce is under 25, compared to 12% in the wider economy. Combined with a projected need for 470,000 additional roles by 2040, this is a clear signal: we need to attract more young people and create clearer career pathways into and through care.

Apprenticeships can play a vital role, but uptake is slipping, down 5% year-on-year, with most starters over 24. Reversing that trend will require partnerships that make care careers visible, aspirational, and values-driven.

Our Takeaway

This year’s Skills for Care data gives cause for optimism. Recruitment pressures have eased for many, and more people are staying in role. But the next challenge is sustaining that progress, through authentic recruitment, values-led leadership, and long-term retention strategies.

We see first-hand how focusing on values-based recruitment, psychometric tools for leadership fit, and practical retention planning can transform stability. The future of care depends not just on filling vacancies, but on helping great people stay, grow, and lead with purpose.

If you’d like to explore what these findings could mean for your organisation or how others are responding, we’d love to share the insights we’ve gathered from across the sector. Get in touch today.

Image Credit: Skills for Care