The Real Hiring Challenge in Care Homes

Across the UK, care homes are facing an unprecedented staffing crisis that threatens the quality and continuity of care. As of March 2024, 14.8% of care homes were experiencing significant staffing shortages (Cromwell Medical); a stark reminder of just how widespread and urgent the issue has become.

The workforce challenges facing care providers are complex and deeply rooted. Issues lie in a number of areas including high vacancy and turnover rates, low pay, burnout, and growing regulatory pressures. This culmination of concerns not only has a knock-on effect on the level of care residents receive, but on the morale amongst staff, too. 

In this blog, we’ll unpack the key care home staffing challenges and explore how providers can navigate them. At Cucumber Recruitment, we understand the pressures you’re under and we’re here to be more than just a staffing agency. We’re a knowledgeable, supportive partner committed to helping you find the right people to alleviate that pressure. 

What are the current care home vacancy rates in the UK?

You only have to take one look at care sector turnover statistics to appreciate the scale of the issue. In 2022/2023, the vacancy rate for UK care homes stood at an alarming 9.9%. This percentage dropped slightly to 8.3% the year after, equating to 131,000 unfilled roles (The King’s Fund). Whilst there’s been a slight improvement, the data still remains significantly higher than that of vacancies across all other industries, which stands at just 2.3%. This clearly outlines the sheer scale of the problem and one that care home managers alone cannot solve.

Why are care homes struggling to recruit and retain staff?

Due to a range of contributing factors, care work has become increasingly difficult in recent years. 

Tighter regulatory and compliance requirements means that workers are faced with more paperwork than ever, taking away time spent with residents. Naturally, this leaves the majority of staff feeling as though they aren’t doing enough. 

On top of this, residents are living longer and hence entering care homes later in life, bringing lots of complex care needs with them. Despite this, staffing levels and training have not kept pace, causing workers to feel completely overstretched. When low pay is taken into account, it’s understandable why so many are leaving for jobs in retail and hospitality that often pay better with less emotional strain.

With high staff turnover, searching for replacement staff has become a regular task for care home managers. But with gaps needing to be filled urgently, often, managers simply don’t have the time to properly vet candidates and so the right staff aren’t always given the job. Of course, when sub-par workers are recruited, it’s only a matter of time before they quit or are dismissed. And so, the cycle continues…

How does pay and working conditions affect turnover in care?

Pay and working conditions have a direct and profound impact on staff turnover in the care sector. Here’s why:

• Low Pay Drives Staff Away: The pay rate for care home workers hovers just above minimum wage. Given the physical and emotional demands of the role, combined with increased regulatory pressures and expectations, staff often feel aggrieved by their pay packet at the end of the month. With other jobs within a similar field paying more, many care home workers are being forced to make the leap into other roles, in order to pay their bills. 

• Work Conditions Fuel Burnout: Long hours, unpredictable schedules and understaffing in an already emotionally draining and physically demanding job results in workforce burnout. Handling difficult situations on a daily basis such as providing end-of-life care, can be extremely taxing for care home staff. Often, this stress causes long-term absences or worse, they quit.

• The Result? High Staff Turnover: For the reasons outlined, the current turnover rate for UK care homes stands at a shocking 30.6% (Nursebuddy). This is one of care home managers’ biggest headaches as multiple staff changes makes fostering continuity and compliance an almost impossible task.  

What role does international recruitment play in filling the gap?

International recruitment has become a vital lifeline for UK care homes struggling with persistent staffing shortages. In 2022/23, over 70,000 overseas workers joined the UK adult social care workforce (The King’s Fund) equating to nearly half of all new starters. Whilst such workers were welcomed with open arms and kept the sector afloat, this only masked the problem. Challenges remain; care home managers are still struggling to make carework an attractive option for UK workers. 

How can recruitment agencies like Cucumber support care homes?

Recruitment agencies like Cucumber are built to support struggling sectors recruit and retain the right staff.

Over the years, Cucumber has developed specialist knowledge of the care sector, meaning that we are able to help care home managers make informed, sustainable staffing decisions. We work closely with our partners to gain a deep understanding of the individual needs of their organisation to ensure maximum impact in building a stable workforce. 

Not only that, we handle the whole recruitment process. We screen candidates with your organisation’s culture in mind to ensure they’re the right fit. We conduct interviews, perform pre-employment checks and even take care of the onboarding and induction stage. 

Ultimately, this ensures for the best quality recruits who are more likely to stay, long-term, whilst allowing care home managers to focus on everything else. 

Reach out to Cucumber for tailored staffing solutions; offering reliable recruitment solutions for care homes is what we do. We’re here to support your staffing needs, every step of the way.