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Over 20 years experience of training in the care sector
Call us on
020 3129 5667
Skills for Care’s latest workforce report gives the adult social care sector something important: a clearer picture of where things are improving, and where the long-term challenges remain.
Professor Oonagh Smyth, Chief Executive of Skills for Care, describes the report as showing “a positive short-term one and a more difficult longer-term one.” That feels like a fair summary.
There are encouraging signs. The total number of adult social care posts in England reached 1.69 million in 2025/26. Filled posts increased to 1.59 million, while vacant posts fell to 96,000. The vacancy rate also reduced to 6.2%, its lowest level since 2015/16.
For providers, this is welcome news. Many services have worked incredibly hard to recruit, stabilise teams and reduce pressure on existing staff. But the report also makes clear that workforce planning cannot stop at filling vacancies.
Recruitment pressure has not gone away
Although vacancy rates have improved, adult social care still faces a difficult labour market. Skills for Care highlights that the adult social care vacancy rate remains around three times higher than the wider economy average.
The report also shows a fall in the number of posts filled by people with a British nationality. This decreased by around 40,000 in 2025/26 and by 130,000 since 2020/21. At the same time, international recruitment has changed significantly, with fewer people arriving from overseas to start direct care roles than in the previous two years.
This means providers may need to focus even more on domestic recruitment, retention, career development and supporting people to stay in the sector.
Retention matters as much as recruitment
Recruitment is only one part of the workforce challenge. Keeping good people is just as important.
When staff feel supported, confident and developed, they are more likely to stay. This is where strong induction, ongoing learning, supervision and manager development can make a real difference.
For new starters, learning should not feel like a one-off task to complete. It should help them understand their role, build confidence and connect learning to real care practice. For experienced staff, learning should support reflection, safe practice and continued development.
Managers need support too
Frontline managers, deputies and team leaders play a key role in retention. They shape the day-to-day experience of staff.
Good managers help people feel heard, supported and clear about expectations. They also make learning part of everyday practice, rather than something that only happens during mandatory training.
This is especially important when teams are under pressure. A short reflective discussion, a team learning session or a focused supervision conversation can help turn training into action.
What providers can do now
Adult social care providers may want to focus on five practical areas:
How CareTutor can help
CareTutor supports adult social care providers with practical, accessible eLearning designed for real care settings. Our courses help services evidence learning, support compliance and give staff clear guidance they can apply in their day-to-day role.
As the workforce challenge continues, learning should be seen as more than a requirement. Used well, it can support safer practice, stronger teams and better retention.
The latest Skills for Care report is a reminder that the sector has made progress — but the long-term challenge is still there. Investing in people, managers and learning culture will be essential to meeting it.
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