By Oonagh Smyth | December 18, 2025
Last Updated on December 18, 2025
As the end of the year approaches, Oonagh Smyth, Chief Executive Officer at Skills for Care, looks back on what 2025 has brought for social care.
2025 is drawing to a close and, as I look back on the year, I am proud of how much we have collectively achieved across care this year. This summer we marked the one-year anniversary of the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care and we were delighted to note that half of the 56 recommendations of the Strategy were already completed or in progress.
Collaborating on shared challenges
We developed the Workforce Strategy because the changes that are needed are complex and not one body or organisation owns the levers of change. We must collaborate on shared challenges, with people making connections and making things happen. We must create the conditions for ourselves and others to act and this includes supporting individuals who are working in this space, connecting organisations and addressing the root causes of the issues.
Actions in progress include action on pay, improvements to training and a commitment to creating clear career development opportunities. The Strategy was developed for the sector, by the sector. It is a collaborative effort led by Skills for Care, including over 1,000 stakeholders alongside people who draw on care and support, health and education.
It sets out clear recommendations and commitments focused on three key areas – attract and retain; train; and transform. Ultimately, it is about finding and keeping the right people with the right skills working in social care, to provide the best possible care and support for the people who draw on it.
Perhaps one of the most exciting developments with the Strategy in the past year is the passion of over 400 individuals, organisations and groups who signed up to become Workforce Strategy Champions, advocating for the Strategy, helping to amplify its messages and ensuring its successful implementation at various levels across adult social care.
A comprehensive framework
In 2025 we have also seen some important developments for the Care Workforce Pathway, including the addition of four new role categories. The Pathway is a comprehensive framework designed to clearly define the requirements for staff wanting to progress in adult social care. It is the first time the care sector has seen a universal career structure setting out the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours required to deliver high-quality, personalised care and support.
Upon launching, the Pathway covered four role categories – new to care; care or support worker; supervisor or leader; and practice leader. The new categories added this year are personal assistant, enhanced care worker, deputy manager and registered manager. These are really important developments in reflecting the richness of our sector across the Pathway.
People are already utilising the Pathway to help shape career journeys in care. Following an early adopter scheme in 2024 with 30 organisations being supported to trial the Pathway, this year a further support programme saw another 90 organisations testing and refining the Pathway resources in its implementation phase. Insights from these care providers will be used to continue to develop the tools and resources to ensure adoption of the Care Workforce Pathway is as effective as possible.
A profound impact
For nurses and nursing students in social care we have seen lots of new support launched this year. This includes a new nursing placement strategy to support the placement of student nurses in social care settings and a new preceptorship support offer from Skills for Care to help care providers implement a preceptorship period for newly registered nurses joining their teams.
Skills for Care’s latest State of the adult social care sector and workforce report showed that adult social care in England is growing, with an increase in filled posts and a decrease in vacancies. The vacancy rate for 2024/25 fell to 7% – a return to similar levels seen prior to 2021/22 – while the number of filled posts grew by 3.4% to 1.6 million. We also saw the sector’s economic contribution increased by 12.2% to reach £77.8bn. This highlights what a huge impact social care has, not just for the people who directly draw on support but for our society as a whole.
Have your say
This year we have also seen steps towards a fair pay agreement for social care, which has the potential to make a significant change for people working in care, and the terms and conditions of employment. The consultation on this is currently open and I would really encourage everyone involved with social care to have their say on this important piece of work.
The Adult Social Care Workforce Survey was another chance to influence change for the sector, and we were proud to help encourage people across care to contribute to this. The findings from the survey will help Government in making key decisions for the sector, including strides towards the development of a National Care Service. Government’s 10 Year Health Plan alongside the introduction of neighbourhood health services has also been a pivotal development for social care this year, which will continue into 2026 and beyond.
A talented and passionate workforce
Skills for Care will be continuing with supporting this work and providing information and resources to keep people across social care updated on what this all means for them. But of course, the biggest acknowledgement of this year must go to the 1.5 million people working across adult social care in England who have continued to support people day-in, day-out to live their lives well.
We look forward to continuing to support the talented and passionate social care workforce as we move into the new year and to move forward with more developments to make social care operate better for people who work in care and people who draw on care and support.
I wish you all a very happy new year. Oonagh Smyth, Chief Executive Officer at Skills for Care