National workforce strategy for adult social care and workforce priorities

Introduction

In July 2024 a new Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England was launched. The strategy was developed by Skills for Care in collaboration with partners in the sector, including people who draw on care and support. ADASS and LGA welcomed the chance to sit on the cross sector Workforce Strategy Steering Group.

The aim of the strategy is to ‘ensure that we have enough of the right people with the right skills to provide the best possible care and support for the people who draw on it’. The strategy sets out the vision and direction for the sector for the short and longer term under three headings:

1. Attract and retain 
2. Train
3. Transform.

In addition, the strategy sets out pragmatic action in the short and medium term to address current workforce challenges. Those actions fall in to three priority areas:

1. Action on pay and terms and conditions 
2. Investment in training and clear career pathways 
3. A legislative basis for a workforce strategy.

The ASC workforce strategy will help employers and commissioners with workforce planning, support the Government’s reform agenda and complement the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan covering the same period.

ADASS, LGA, Skills for Care national shared workforce priorities

Background

In 2020, in the absence of a national workforce strategy for adult social care, ADASS, LGA and Skills for Care engaged with councils in each of the nine regions to agree a set of shared workforce priorities. The aim of the work was to develop with the sector a shared agreement around the workforce priorities and to better align support to councils, providers and other partners to make more significant progress in these priority areas.

The priorities help to guide thinking and discussion on key areas we need to consider when looking at how we implement social care workforce development locally, regionally and nationally.

In 2023/24 the priorities were reviewed in consultation with over 700 people across adult social care departments in councils, social care providers, health representatives and other partners. Discussions aimed to identify any gaps and ensure that the priorities are still relevant and reflect local and regional priorities. It was also an opportunity to explore how the priorities have been used regionally and locally and how they can support colleagues with workforce development in practical ways.

As a result of this engagement leadership was added as a sixth priority, and some cross cutting themes were identified to support improvement planning in relation to the priorities.

The shared workforce priorities and the ASC strategy for social care in England are complementary drivers for improvement in adult social care. The ASC workforce strategy sets out a vision and direction for the development of social care, whilst the shared workforce priorities focus on practical application, supporting social care organisations with conversations, communications and decision making related to the social care workforce.

Using the national shared workforce priorities to drive improvement

The shared workforce priorities are a practical framework to drive improvement. Some of the ways councils and partners have told us that they use the shared workforce priorities include:

• a framework for regional or local plans. People report feeling greater confidence knowing that the priorities were co-developed and recently tested with a broad range of people and organisations across England
• as a communication tool to help people and organisations to develop a common understanding of current workforce issues
• as a self-assessment framework for identifying strengths and areas for improvement relating to each priority
• as a focus for monthly spotlight sessions, sharing learning on what works around each priority.

Practice examples of how regions or councils are using the priorities

The following four case examples show how the priorities were used regionally and locally to support organisations with adult social care workforce planning and development.

The case studies are:

• The Isle of Wight Council
• Gateshead Council
• Stoke on Trent City Council
• Yorkshire and Humber Region

For more information about how to use the shared workforce priorities contact the PCH Workforce Team at [email protected]