Social Care Reform

Lord Turnberg Excerpts

Thursday 22nd May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

Unpaid carers are key because they provide care and support to those who require care. The needs of unpaid carers will be very much part of the commission. I know that the noble Baroness, Lady Casey, will be speaking to relevant organisations and those with lived experience.

[Lord Turnberg (Lab)]

My Lords, can my noble friend give us an estimate of the number of vacancies in the care workforce and tell us whether there has been an assessment of the impact on the workforce of the restrictions on overseas recruitment for care workers?

[Baroness Merron (Lab)]

I can say to my noble friend that the adult social care workforce is growing. Skills for Care data tells us that there has been an increase of 70,000 filled posts since 2022-23, that staff turnover is reducing and that the overall vacancy rate decreased to 8.3% in 2023-24 from 9.9% the previous year. While the direction is good, there is certainly more to do. As regards international care workers, it has indeed been factored in that we need a workforce, and that is one of the many reasons why the new measures that require care providers to prioritise recruiting international care workers are focused on those who are already in the UK, have visas and require new employment. I am sure we will talk about this as we discuss the Employment Rights Bill and all the directions it is taking to support professionalisation of the workforce and encourage those in the UK to take on adult social care roles.