England to face 718,000 shortfall in care workers
25 February 2014
Care homes and home care agencies will face a “workforce time bomb” in a decade due to the ageing population unless more men can be recruited as care workers, a report warns.
Tue, 25 Feb 2014 | By Matt Bodimeade
Care homes and home care agencies will face a “workforce time bomb” in a decade due to the ageing population unless more men can be recruited as care workers, a report warns.
A new study published by the International Longevity Centre-UK and care charity Anchor says 40% of the projected increase in England’s working age population will need to enter the care profession to tackle the staffing issue.
If current trends continue, England could face a shortfall of 718,000 care workers by 2025, and an unprecedented number of men are needed to bridge the staffing gap.
Women currently make up 82% of the care workforce and whereas just 4.2% of working men work in health and social care, 15.5% of women work in the sector.
Jane Ashcroft CBE, chief executive officer of Anchor, which is creating 1,000 new jobs over the next three years to help meet demand, says: “The care sector needs to attract a wider range of staff: young and old, and we need more men to consider care as a potential career – particularly as men are living longer.
“At Anchor we are creating roles ranging from care assistants through to managerial positions at our new developments. We offer extensive training and promotion prospects that we hope will continue to encourage people to consider joining and staying in the care workforce.”
Jack Wilmott, marketing and business development manager at social work recruiter 4Social Work, suggests reasons why the industry is predominantly dominated by women: “Social care often offers flexible working patterns, which makes it an attractive career path for a number of women.
“Flexible working hours offer a number of mothers [or] single mothers the opportunity to have a career, while also taking care of their family.”
In terms of enticing more men in to the industry, Wilmott says it is not down to recruiters to iron out equality in the sector: “Our aim is to please the client, and put the best person forward for the role - regardless of gender."
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A new study published by the International Longevity Centre-UK and care charity Anchor says 40% of the projected increase in England’s working age population will need to enter the care profession to tackle the staffing issue.
If current trends continue, England could face a shortfall of 718,000 care workers by 2025, and an unprecedented number of men are needed to bridge the staffing gap.
Women currently make up 82% of the care workforce and whereas just 4.2% of working men work in health and social care, 15.5% of women work in the sector.
Jane Ashcroft CBE, chief executive officer of Anchor, which is creating 1,000 new jobs over the next three years to help meet demand, says: “The care sector needs to attract a wider range of staff: young and old, and we need more men to consider care as a potential career – particularly as men are living longer.
“At Anchor we are creating roles ranging from care assistants through to managerial positions at our new developments. We offer extensive training and promotion prospects that we hope will continue to encourage people to consider joining and staying in the care workforce.”
Jack Wilmott, marketing and business development manager at social work recruiter 4Social Work, suggests reasons why the industry is predominantly dominated by women: “Social care often offers flexible working patterns, which makes it an attractive career path for a number of women.
“Flexible working hours offer a number of mothers [or] single mothers the opportunity to have a career, while also taking care of their family.”
In terms of enticing more men in to the industry, Wilmott says it is not down to recruiters to iron out equality in the sector: “Our aim is to please the client, and put the best person forward for the role - regardless of gender."
• Want to comment on this story? The Comment box is at the bottom of the page. Sorry for the glitch but just scroll right down and share your opinions
