Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase staff (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the adult social care sector.

On 10 January 2024, the Department announced a package of social care workforce reforms, to help recruit and retain talent by providing new, accredited qualifications, digital training and funded apprenticeships. These plans include the launch of the care workforce pathway, which will provide, for the first time ever, a national career structure for the adult social care workforce, covering the breadth and complexity of care.

In addition, the latest phase of the Made with Care recruitment campaign launched at the start of October 2023, and is running until the end of March 2024. It consists of advertising appearing on catch-up television, social media, radio and online, to highlight the amazing work that staff across the adult social care sector do and motivating suitable candidates to apply.