The All-Party Parliamentary Health Group recently hosted a parliamentary roundtable to discuss the future of the Adult Social Care workforce.

Chaired by Peter Dowd MP, the session brought together representatives from care worker organisations, researchers, and industry representatives to discuss and understand how the sector may benefit from a long-term social care workforce strategy.

This was the first edition of the APHG’s new Workforce Series, a collection of parliamentary events addressing various facets of the current workforce crisis. The series aims to shed light on the challenges and opportunities within both the NHS and Adult Social Care workforce.

Despite the introduction of an NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the absence of a parallel workforce plan for the social care sector, currently grappling with 152,000 vacancies, poses a substantial risk to realising its goals. Given existing pay disparities, the integration of health and care sectors remains a significant hurdle.

With an array of insightful speakers from academia and the care sector, the session covered a range of topics related to the challenges facing Adult Social Care.

Key to the discussion was the perceived importance of developing a sustainable and fully funded long-term social care strategy. Participants argued that this plan should address challenges related to recruitment, retention, and career progression within the Adult Social Care sector.

Investment in workplace development was also mentioned, with contributors suggesting initiatives to enhance the perception of social care as a respected and rewarding profession amongst young people people. These initiatives would offer clear career pathways and ensure that qualifications are transferable across various roles and settings within the social care sector.

Establishing pay parity for social care workers and NHS colleagues was also identified as an imperative which requires aligning hourly rates and bandings with positions in the NHS and establishing comprehensive brandings and benchmarks across the social care sector.

A Q&A concluded the session, with guests raising points about the importance of cross-party cooperation, expanded use of data and insights, technological advancements, and the ramifications of recent visa regulation changes.

The first event of the APHG Workforce Series featured insights from:

• Dr Bo Hu, Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Carolyn Nice, Director Lead for ADASS for the Northeast region and National Workforce
• Professor Lee-Ann Fenge, Professor of Social Work, Bournemouth University
• Louise Whitley, Head of Area for London and Southeast, Skills for Care
• John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities, Community Integrated Care

For more information on the APHG Workforce Series, please contact jasmin.adebisi [at] policyconnect.org.uk.