Last Updated on October 14, 2026

Skills for Care has published the findings of its latest annual State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report. According to Skills for Care, this year's report has identified the combination of employment and development factors most strongly associated with retaining care workers.

The report found turnover rates of care workers fall from 34.3% to 15.3% when employers combine competitive pay, guaranteed hours, training, qualifications and full-time employment opportunities.

This latest report covers the year to March 2026, and reveals that the adult social care workforce in England has grown for the fourth successive year – with a fall in vacancies to their lowest level in a decade.

Findings from the report also highlight a link between workforce investment and quality of care. Better workforce conditions, including higher staffing ratios and pay, increased training opportunities, greater uptake of the Care Certificate standards and lower vacancy rates, are all associated with stronger Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings.

The report also demonstrates the importance of retaining experienced registered managers. Care worker turnover falls from 28.3% to 20.6% as registered manager experience increases, underlining, in Skills for Care's view, the value of investing in leadership development and supporting managers to build long-term careers in the sector.

In addition, the report paints a mixed picture of the wider workforce. While the headline numbers suggest the adult social care workforce is relatively stable, growth is occurring at its slowest rate in four years, with the number of filled posts growing by 1.4% compared to a peak growth of 4.9% between 2022/23 and 2023/24. At the same time, there are fewer British workers in the sector and international recruitment has reduced significantly, presenting ongoing challenges for employers.

The findings also highlight opportunities to strengthen the future workforce. Young people remain underrepresented in adult social care, making up just 7% of the workforce compared with 12% of England's economically active population. Turnover among workers under the age of 25 is 35.5%, the highest of any age group.

Statistics included in the report for the first time this year demonstrate the role social care plays within the wider health and care system. For example, non-nursing staff carry out delegated healthcare activities in 59% of responding CQC-regulated services and an estimated 46% of direct care workers undertake these activities.

Moreover, workforce development continues to be a priority for the sector. The report found that the Care Workforce Pathway is already being used by 26% of responding employers, primarily to identify skills gaps and development opportunities.

However, the report also highlights continued challenges around qualifications. Just 37% of care workers and support workers hold a qualification at level 2 or above, down from 48% in 2018/19, reinforcing the importance of continued investment in learning and development.

The findings also reveal examples of employers going beyond statutory employment requirements to support their workforce. One in four independent sector employers contribute more than the minimum 3% to care workers' pensions, while one in four pay care workers more than Statutory Sick Pay.

Commenting on the latest annual findings, Professor Oonagh Smyth CBE, Chief Executive at Skills for Care, said, 'This feels like a defining moment for adult social care. The Prime Minister has set out an ambition to build a National Care Service, free at the point of use, with greater recognition for care workers and a stronger relationship with the NHS. That ambition reflects the fact that there can be no sustainable reform of care without a sustainable, skilled and valued workforce.

'[Despite this,] workforce growth is slowing, and we must continue to attract more people into adult social care to meet future demand. In particular, we need to do more to attract younger people and men into the sector, as set out in the Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care in England.

'Continued investment in workforce development, leadership and career pathways, including scaling up the Care Workforce Pathway, will be essential if we are to build the sustainable workforce needed to deliver high-quality care in the years ahead.'

Rachael Dodgson, Chief Executive at Dimensions, said, 'It's positive to see that better employment conditions across the adult social care sector have led to higher levels of retention. This matters enormously to people we support with learning disabilities and autistic people who rely on consistent, skilled support. However, Skills for Care's report exposes serious concerns about the long-term sustainability of the adult social care workforce.

'The report estimates that England will need an additional 410,000 adult social care roles by 2040 – an entire city's population! But nationally, both domestic and international recruitment are falling. The country faces serious questions about where this city-sized workforce will come from.

'Incentives are key to outcomes. The Government's upcoming fair pay agreement in 2028, the recently announced collective pension scheme for care workers and the current Care Workforce Pathway, established in 2024, are all positive steps in the right direction.

'Dimensions is an early adopter of the Care Workforce Pathway. But more widely, this pathway's potential will be limited unless career development is accompanied by meaningful pay progression. We cannot expect to build a skilled, experienced workforce without a structure that properly recognises and rewards that experience.

'For hundreds of thousands of adults with learning disabilities and autistic people who draw on support, familiar faces, trusted relationships, and consistency are crucial to live fulfilling, independent lives.'

Dave Lee, Chief Executive Offier at Planday, said, 'Skills for Care's report shows why dependable hours deserve greater attention in efforts to maintain a reliable care workforce. With workforce growth slowing, keeping experienced staff is essential to delivering the consistent care that residents depend on.

'In residential care, turnover among care workers on zero-hours contracts was 37.3%, compared with 21.8% among those on other contracts. Some staff value flexible hours, but providers need to understand whether those arrangements suit their employees.

'For workers, knowing when they will work and what they can expect to earn matters when they are arranging childcare or managing household bills. For residents, a care worker leaving can mean losing a familiar face who knows where their favourite chair in the communal room is or when they need a little extra reassurance.

'The report also estimates that 7.2 million working days were lost to sickness across adult social care in England, underlining the challenge of maintaining staffing levels when people are unavailable. Managers need room to respond to absences and changing care needs and having the right tools to manage their teams can give a clearer view of staffing and help them communicate changes when adjustments are needed.

'Pay and funding remain fundamental to addressing the workforce challenges facing social care. Transparent scheduling will not solve challenges on its own, but it is one area providers can directly influence. Giving people greater certainty over their hours and managing changes more effectively can help create a working environment where experienced care workers are more likely to stay.'

To read the latest annual State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report, visit Skills for Care's website.

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