Skills for Care brings partners together to support Norfolk and Suffolk’s growing adult social care workforce

Skills for Care is working with partners across Norfolk and Suffolk to strengthen workforce development and help adult social care employers meet the growing demand for skilled care professionals.

Adult social care is a vital part of communities across Norfolk and Suffolk, employing around 47,000 people and contributing an estimated £2.4 billion to the local economy.

As demand for care continues to grow, Skills for Care has been working with Norfolk County Council, Norfolk & Suffolk Care Support and other regional partners to understand the workforce and skills priorities facing employers and explore how organisations can work together to address them.

The scale of the future challenge is significant. An ageing population and increasing demand for care services are expected to drive workforce growth of around 44% across Norfolk and Suffolk by 2040. At the same time, employers continue to face recruitment challenges, skills gaps and pressures that can make it difficult for staff to access training and development.

Recent insight from the Norfolk & Suffolk Care Support Training Survey highlights some of the areas where employers need additional support. Mental Capacity Act training, communication skills, dementia care and Positive Behaviour Support were identified among the most pressing development needs.

Providers also reported challenges accessing specialist training in areas including behaviour management, clinical care skills, mental health, safeguarding and digital technology.

The survey identified a need for wider workforce development too, including stronger leadership and management development, more practical and hands-on training opportunities, improved access to qualifications and clearer career progression pathways.

Skills for Care is continuing to work with partners to understand these priorities and identify opportunities to strengthen the support available to the region’s care workforce.

There is already significant activity taking place across Norfolk and Suffolk. Initiatives including the Care Workforce Pathway, Skills for Care’s national Workforce Strategy and local workforce development programmes are supporting employers to attract, recruit, develop and retain people within adult social care.

Through its ongoing work with the Norfolk and Suffolk Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), Skills for Care is also helping ensure that adult social care is represented within the wider regional skills agenda.

The partnership is exploring opportunities to showcase best practice, share workforce intelligence, improve awareness of available support and strengthen engagement between employers, training providers and skills organisations. A dedicated adult social care area within developing LSIP resources is one opportunity currently being explored.

Helen Jackson, Skills for Care, said:

“Adult social care is a major employer and an essential part of the infrastructure of communities across Norfolk and Suffolk. The workforce is already under significant pressure, and we know that demand for care will continue to increase.

“Working in partnership is essential if we are to make sure employers have access to the skills, training and development opportunities they need. The insight from local care providers gives us a valuable understanding of the challenges they are facing, and we want to build on this by strengthening collaboration across the region.

“We want adult social care to have a strong voice within the wider skills landscape and to ensure that people working in care have opportunities to develop their skills and progress their careers.”

Adult social care not only supports the health and wellbeing of thousands of people across Norfolk and Suffolk, but also plays an important role in enabling other sectors and services to thrive.

By working together, Skills for Care, employers, training providers, local authorities and other sector partners can help build a skilled, confident and sustainable workforce that is equipped to meet the needs of communities both now and in the future.

How employers can get involved

Employers in the Social Care and Health sector are encouraged to help shape the regional approach to skills and employment by sharing their views or attending the Skills Employer Roundtable Group (SERG).

To get involved or find out more, please contact Helen Jackson at Skills for Care at Helen.Jackson@skillsforcare.org.uk.