The social care industry is heading for both a budgetary, as well as a skills, shortage if it fails to address the preference for older, more experienced and more expensive workers, recruiters say. 

Temporary recruitment specialist Comensura, part of Impellam Group, this week released its 2015 Social Care Index, which shows the number of temporary social care workers (TSCW) hires aged 45-54 rose by 9.3% to account for 32.8% of the total temporary social care workforce in the year to March 2015 as compared to the previous year.

The numbers of TSCWs aged 16-24 and 25-34 decreased by 21.8% and 6.1% respectively between the same period.

Comensura says the marked reduction of temporary assignments offered to the under 34s means those who have just entered the profession or are developing a career are finding it harder to adequately develop their skills in the workplace, leaving a “skills shortage time bomb”.

Alison Humphries, sales director at social work staffing specialist Liquid Personnel, told Recruiter the trend was nothing to do with age discrimination but rather “a requirement for social work professionals to draw on a wide range of experience and to demonstrate credibility, flexibility and depth of understanding” and was particularly acute in the contract market.

She added Liquid had been working with employers to support newly qualified social workers with the ASYE [Assessed and Supported Year in Employment] scheme but due to the closure of The College of Social Work mid year, that scheme was on hold.

The ASYE was introduced by government as a response to the top-heavy nature of the workforce and is usually only available through councils for permanent staff but Liquid was opening it up to temporary workers. 

Temporary labour procurer de Poel told Recruiter it sees no lightening of demand for more experienced workers.

“Case loads continue to be heavy and complex, and it’s not unusual to receive a client mandate for 20 experienced social workers in just one day, to commence imminently.” 

Comensura also found a 13.5% increase in temporary social workers moving from the PAYE tax system to being paid via an umbrella company or setting up their own limited company. It says over 90% of temporary social workers now work in this way.

Humphries says less than 1% of Liquid’s contract workers are paid via PAYE and as the government looks to change rules around travel & subsistence, local authorities will be further deprived of a flexible workforce, particularly in rural or remote areas.

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