Oral Answers to Questions

Sarah Owen Excerpts

Tuesday 5th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Peter Grant (Glenrothes) (SNP)]

4. What steps she is taking to help increase recruitment and retention in the adult social care sector.

[Sarah Owen (Luton North) (Lab)]

10. What steps she is taking to help increase recruitment and retention in the adult social care sector.

[Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)]

19. What steps she is taking to help increase recruitment and retention in the adult social care sector.

--- Later in debate ---

[Helen Whately]

I agree with the hon. Gentleman that we are grateful to all who work in social care, including those who have come here from other countries to care for our loved ones. We also agree that international migration is not a long-term answer to our care workforce needs. That is why we are reforming social care to work as a career, and we are backing that with extra funding—up to £8.6 billion extra for social care over two years.

[Sarah Owen]

I am afraid the Minister’s warm words about the social care workforce do not meet the reality check for most people. The Government’s own statistics show that there are at least 152,000 vacancies in social care in England alone, leaving my constituents waiting up to 10 weeks to be discharged from hospital. The Government have been using international recruitment to plug the gaps and as a result have filled over 11,000 vacancies in the past few years, so can the Minister confirm whether recruitment and retention in social care will be better or worse due to Government plans to prevent overseas social care workers bringing family members to the UK?

[Helen Whately]

As I said a moment ago, vacancies have fallen and the care workforce grew by more than 20,000 last year. We are seeing better retention of care workers as well, but we need to go further. That is why we are reforming social care careers, introducing the first ever national career structure for the care workforce and new qualifications and training.