In March 2022, it was reported that the latest workforce data showed the number of social workers leaving their roles in 2021, was 4,995 - a 16% increase from 2021. To revive the industry, employers should look at ways they can attract young people into a career in social care.

It’s not new information that the social care industry is facing a labour shortage, with the pandemic heightening the demand for health and social care workers, combined with falling investment in the services available within care.

In 2021, the government also withdrew funding to help with the recruitment and retention of employees within the industry which has further altered the number of people applying. Plans are now set out to reform adult social care, laid out in the whitepaper, People at the Heart of Care. 

Where does this leave employers? Those within the care sector need to attract talent earlier, ensuring they build their future pipeline ready for when students leave school.

Virtual work experience

Through virtual work experience, employers can diminish the misconceptions about the roles available and provide insight into how rewarding the careers can be, whilst engaging with young people earlier on in their career journey. 

Springpod has recently collaborated with Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICS to create a virtual work experience programme dedicated to a career within social care. Having worked with over 60 NHS Trusts across the UK, Springpod is excited to launch its first social care programme and passionate about continuing to support the healthcare sector, celebrating the work they do.

With restrictions still in place for those within roles within the care sector, virtual programmes allow students to continue their experiences without leaving their homes. Not only does this eliminate the safety barriers in place for in-person experiences, but also opens up a much wider scope of potentially interested participants.

Eliminate misconceptions about industry roles

Like every industry, misconceptions exist if left unattended. With care, a common misconception is the inability to progress up the career ladder. In reality, within social care, there are plenty of opportunities to progress, from Supervisor to Registered Manager and more.

The ISE Student Development Survey 2022 reported that 64% of school and college leavers are with the same employer five years after joining. As more employers prioritise building a strong student and college leavers pipeline, competition is high. 

We’ve worked with many trusts who have used their programmes to showcase the non-clinical roles available within the NHS - something few young people know about in comparison to the more obvious roles such as medicine and nursing. This can be emulated in our care programmes, where roles can be explained through live webinars with real employees in these roles who can answer students' questions and solve misconceptions.

Find out more

You can find out more about the work we do with NHS Trusts here

To explore partnership opportunities with Springpod, get in touch