Addressing Social Care’s Identity Crisis: Insights from Teresa Wilson

TL/DR –

Teresa Wilson, Operations Director at Brook Street Social Care, believes that social care is facing an identity crisis, in addition to a workforce crisis. Wilson asserts that social care is often misunderstood and undervalued, which contributes to high turnover rates and unfilled roles in the sector. She suggests that the sector needs a new narrative that emphasizes its purpose, professionalism, and career opportunities, along with tangible improvements such as fair pay, clear career pathways, and a reduction in regulatory burdens.

The Identity Crisis of Social Care

Consider this: Who takes care of children with complex needs? Who assists the homeless and those dealing with mental illness or trauma? Who enables individuals with disabilities to engage in their communities? The answer lies with the individuals working in the social care sector.

Social care impacts most of us, yet often, the people providing the care are unseen. This invisibility carries repercussions. Despite employing around 1.6 million people and contributing nearly £90 billion to the UK economy, there are still 111,000 unoccupied roles in adult care alone in England, with a staff turnover of around 28%.

Looking at this data, it’s easy to deduce that social care has a hiring issue. However, this overlooks another issue: people fail to acknowledge the extent and opportunities within this sector. Without this understanding, they can’t see their potential role in it. Hence, social care faces not only a recruitment problem but an identity crisis.

Time for a New Narrative

It’s time to reshape the narrative of social care. The Prime Minister’s plans for a National Care Service presents an opportunity to redefine the conversation around care. However, we need to delve deeper and ask: What does a career in social care entail?

Unlike teaching or nursing, social care lacks a national narrative that communicates its purpose, professionalism, and opportunities. It’s often seen as low-status work with limited prospects. Yet, many individuals remain in this sector because they discover a profession that offers purpose, responsibility, and the potential to change lives.

Social care professionals protect vulnerable individuals, manage risks, administer medication, and support independence. This is skilled work. To attract the next generation, we need to make these careers more visible. Only 8% of care workers are under 25, and the turnover rate among younger workers stands at 44.6%. We need to inspire people to actively choose social care, not simply fall into it.

Government, providers, and the workforce need to collaborate to build a stronger profession. The proposed Fair Pay Agreement aims to improve recruitment and retention. However, it should reward experienced workers, specialists, and those with greater responsibilities appropriately. Government funding is crucial for these reforms to succeed without adding pressure on providers.

Tackling the Challenges

Social care challenges are interlinked, impacting workforce sustainability and care quality. For social care to become a chosen profession, these reforms need to work in synergy. A strengthened social care sector is worth striving for. The real test of any new system will be whether individuals choose to work in social care, build a career, and stay in it. The success of these measures will determine whether we have given social care the future it rightfully deserves.

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