Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support the retention of care worker staff in (a) general and (b) trusts in which a high proportion of the workforce have left over the last 12 months.

In September 2021, we announced an investment of at least £500 million for the adult social care workforce across three years to deliver new qualifications, progression pathways and wellbeing and mental health support. This will enable a five-fold increase in public spending on the skills, training and wellbeing of care workers, registered managers and others, with the aim of improving retention in the sector. Through the NHS People Plan we are also investing in staff wellbeing, flexible working and other retention initiatives.

To address staffing challenges this winter, on 21 October we announced a new £162.5 million Workforce Recruitment and Retention Fund for local authorities to manage workforce supply in their local areas.