Tackling Recruitment and Retention in Social Care: Insights from Roundtable Events

The social care sector is facing unprecedented workforce challenges. With rising costs to wage requirements and employer national insurance contributions – providers are feeling the pressure more than ever. At the same time, relying on overseas workers is becoming increasingly unsustainable, particularly in light of recent overseas recruitment restrictions, making the retention of domestic workers more critical than ever.

To better understand these challenges and uncover solutions, Cohesion and Care Character recently hosted roundtable events bringing together people leaders from across the sector. Insights from these events, alongside findings from recent Cohesion data, provide a clearer picture of what's happening – and what needs to change.

The Current Landscape: What the Data Tells Us

Applicant Trends

Our applicant survey data shows that job seekers prioritise job satisfaction and training and development opportunities – above flexibility. These preferences show what today’s candidates are truly looking for – development, purpose, and stability.

A large share of applicants have prior care experience or a personal connection to care, and the number of people entering the sector for the first time has declined over the last two years.

New Starter Experience

Retention interview data shows that new employees who have regular one-to-one meetings with their manager, are significantly more satisfied in their roles and more likely to stay. However, new starters report they are lacking formal support during their initial weeks.

Reasons for Leaving

Exit interviews reveal that poor relationships with managers are a common reason for leaving. While pay and benefits matter, they rank lower. While leavers enjoy their interactions with those they cared for, the majority said their relationship with their manager was least enjoyable. The highest attrition

occurs at just six months, and unmet expectations were more common among those who left early.

Roundtable Solutions: Sector-Wide Actions

During roundtable discussions, several key solutions emerged to help address these challenges:

Attracting Young Talent - Engaging Gen Z and underrepresented groups through education partnerships, digital-first campaigns, career pathway visibility, and authentic, values-driven communication.

Personalised Onboarding - Providing mentoring, regular communication, and pre-start engagement to reduce early dropout and strengthen first impressions.

Flexible Working - Greater control over shift and rota scheduling to support wellbeing.

Collective Recruitment Campaigns - Co-producing sector-wide initiatives to improve perceptions of care work and reach more diverse audiences.

Leadership Development - Investing in soft skill development, and clear progression for managers to create better team cultures.

Data-Driven Strategy - Using surveys and interviews to identify trends, understand attrition, and shape better workforce strategies.

The message is clear: the future of the social care workforce depends on collective, proactive change. By prioritising people, leadership, and communication, we can create workplaces where employees feel supported and want to stay.

To read the full whitepaper “From I Do to I’m Done: The Journey from Enthusiasm to Exit” visit cohesionrecruitment.com/whitepapers/

Cohesion are Social Care Specialists improving recruitment & retention. Contact the Cohesion team for more information:

careengland@cohesionrecruitment.com