In July 2024, Skills for Care launched a Workforce Strategy for adult social care in England. The first time that the adult social care sector has come together in this way, this groundbreaking strategy is aimed at addressing the urgent need to ensure that adult social care has the right people, with the right skills to provide the best care possible.
Adult social care is vital to the 10 million people it impacts, who rely on those working in social care to provide them with the support needed at critical times. However, care workers are not always appreciated or supported in the way that they need, which results in gaps in these roles.
Skills for Care’s Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set reported that there were 131,000 vacancies in 2023-24 and more than a quarter of people leaving their jobs in social care each year. The data also showed that the care sector will need an additional 540,000 posts in adult social care by 2040. Added to the vacancies that already exist today, this could require more than 650,000 more people working in adult social care.
Partners in the Workforce Strategy have come together now because this is urgent. Things must change to ensure that, over the next 15 years, there are enough people working in social care with the right training and skills. There must be a transformation in social care to make these roles fulfilling and excellent places to work.
Nursebuddy’s support for the Workforce Strategy
Nursebuddy strongly supports Skills for Care’s Workforce Strategy and the aims within it. Nursebuddy recognises that our society urgently needs connected, high quality homecare services that can keep people in the dignity and comfort of their own homes for longer, whilst simultaneously reducing the strain on our overburdened healthcare systems. More care workers need to be attracted into the sector, while it also focuses on retaining the skilled workforce it currently has by investing in the wellbeing and training of staff and offering them the support that they need.
The following three core solutions were put forward in the Workforce Strategy: Attract & Retain; Train; Transform. Below, we outline how Nursebuddy supports homecare providers in achieving these key themes.
Attract and Retain
Staff satisfaction- Nursebuddy’s user-friendly interface and robust scheduling features can streamline staff management, making it easier for organisations to attract and retain care workers by improving their working experience.
Improve pay and conditions - By simplifying administrative tasks, Nursebuddy allows managers to focus on fair pay practices and working conditions, enhancing staff satisfaction. Nursebuddy's waiting time reports enable homecare providers to monitor and reduce the amount of unpaid waiting time their care workers experience. The platform's payroll software which ensures fair, flexible pay through customisable templates, criteria and review options.
Wellbeing at work - The Nursebuddy platform offers wellness resources and tools that promote staff wellbeing, such as scheduling flexibility and communication tools that allow for feedback and support. Managers can easily monitor the morale and wellbeing of care teams and receive feedback on how the team are feeling using the anonymised Carer Wellbeing Survey.
Train
Simpler statutory and mandatory training - Nursebuddy’s platform offers features that streamline the training processes, making it easier for staff to record required training online.
Providing more development opportunities - Nursebuddy complements in-house training with a webinar series for domiciliary care workers, focussed on individual wellbeing and career growth.
Registered Manager focus - Nursebuddy’s platform provides innovative tools tailored for Registered Managers to get up-to-speed quickly and oversee their teams effectively.
Transform
Innovating with data, technology and AI - the Nursebuddy platform utilises data analytics to improve care delivery, staff management, and operational efficiency by connecting domiciliary care organisations, care workers and families together in one smart software platform. The platform offers care planning, scheduling, a carer app, team management software and more.
Making sure there is the national infrastructure needed - Nursebuddy contributes to the broader care ecosystem through integration with other services and compliance with national standards.
Making sure everyone in the sector feels valued - Management teams can foster a culture of recognition and appreciation for care staff through Nursebuddy’s feedback mechanisms and communication tools. The Appreciation Centre allows carers to receive instant feedback, recognition and appreciation from managers.
In conclusion
Skills for Care’s Workforce Strategy found three core areas that need more focus for the care workforce to thrive - these are to attract and retain care workers, to train individuals, and to transform the care sector. Nursebuddy is committed to collaboratively creating a sector that values and supports the skilled care professionals who perform these vital roles and to make things better for them and the people they care for.
