How to Solve the Skills Gap in Care Home Staffing

By the year 2030, it’s forecast that the UK will need an additional 490,000 care workers just to meet rising demand (Skills for Care), yet the sector already faces over 150,000 unfilled roles today.

The numbers speak for themselves; the projected future need is huge. But why is there such a challenge in recruitment? Yes, carework is widely known for its long hours and low wages and whilst these do stand as some of the core reasons behind the recruitment and retention issue, they’re not the only problem.

There is now a growing skills gap in care homes. Care homes have become increasingly challenging environments with residents presenting more complex needs than in previous years. But appropriate adult social care workforce training is lagging behind, creating more recruitment problems than ever before.

At Cucumber Recruitment, we believe bridging the care staffing gap requires a fresh approach; one that combines smarter recruitment and targeted training. In this blog, we explore actionable strategies to help care homes fill positions quickly and future-proof their workforce.

What is the current skills gap in care home staffing?

The recruitment challenge is no longer just about numbers, it’s about staff capability. Care homes are struggling to recruit staff with the appropriate level of technical skills, compassion, and resilience needed to support residents with increasingly complex needs.

More residents than ever are entering care homes with dementia, in fact, a recent survey revealed that as many as 70% of all UK care home residents have the disease, equating to 309,035 people (Carehome.co.uk). This, combined with other long-term conditions and end-of-life care needs means that staff now require a broader, deeper skillset in order to do the job justice.

But the truth is, the care home skills gap is stark. Around 46% of care providers report difficulties finding candidates with the required competencies (GOV.UK) . Without targeted action to attract, train, and retain talent, the quality and continuity of care is at risk.

Can international recruitment help fill the gap?

Yes, international recruitment can help fill the care sector skills gap and in many cases, it already is. However, it’s not a silver bullet, and it comes with both opportunities and challenges that care home managers need to understand.

In 2020, senior care workers were included on the Home Office shortage occupation list, followed by general care workers being added in 2022. This triggered growth in recruitment of overseas workers and an overall boost in workforce capacity. For many providers, this has meant the difference between closing beds and maintaining safe staffing levels.

However, recruitment of international care staff in the UK is a dynamic process that comes with higher risk and responsibility than hiring a domestic workforce. It requires robust onboarding and compliance with Home Office sponsorship rules. If corners are cut, providers leave themselves open to safeguarding allegations and negative publicity if workers are seen to be exploited.

How do training and qualifications influence retention?

Quite simply, when staff feel prepared, competent and valued in their role, they’re more likely to stay. An upskilled workforce approaches daily tasks within the care setting with greater confidence and possesses a stronger sense of professional identity. Not only do residents then feel properly cared for, morale amongst staff is higher, creating an all round better environment for everyone in question.

Investing in development shows employees they are supported, which can reduce stress and burnout, and contribute to a more stable workforce with lower turnover rates.

What innovative recruitment strategies work in social care?

Traditional hiring methods now fall short when it comes to attracting and retaining the right people into the care sector. More forward thinking practices are now required to attract like-minded candidates who are more likely to stay.

Providers could consider engaging in community outreach; engaging with schools and colleges to promote the role to a future workforce.

Use of social media could also be explored as another strategy to showcase real staff and residents’ stories to catch the attention of like-minded applicants.

Adopting a values-based interviewing process is a successful strategy which not only assesses experience and qualifications, but attitude too, to ensure that candidates align with the setting’s culture and values.

Due to the complexity of current recruitment, more and more providers are now making the switch to using a specialist agency to take care of their whole hiring process.

How can Cucumber Recruitment support skill development and staffing stability?

Partnering with a specialist agency like Cucumber Recruitment can take the pressure off providers and give them a crucial edge.

Cucumber Healthcare are specialists in care home and health care recruitment strategies, offering fast and effective provision of high quality care home staffing solutions. When you contact Cucumber for assistance with your company’s staffing requirements, we will be able to link you to individuals with precisely the right training, located a practical distance from your facility.

Perhaps most importantly, we offer regular in-house training across a wide range of care-focused specialisms and disciplines, helping to address skills gaps and ensure your workforce is fully equipped to meet the demands of modern care. Training covers key areas such as dementia care, end of life care, safeguarding and challenging behaviour to ensure staff operate with optimum knowledge and confidence.

For bespoke staffing packages, training support, and strategic workforce planning, contact Cucumber Recruitment; let’s build a strong workforce, together.