New workforce data provides a useful reminder that recruitment is only part of the workforce challenge. What happens once someone joins your organisation can make a significant difference to whether they stay.
The King’s Fund highlights pay, contract type, training and qualifications as factors associated with staff turnover. While there is no single direct measure of workforce satisfaction in adult social care, retention can provide an important indication of how people experience their employment. [kingsfund.org.uk]
The latest Skills for Care State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, published on 2026-10-14 and based on 2025/26 data, provides the latest national picture. [skillsforcare.org.uk]
Three areas worth looking at in your organisation
Pay and progression
The King’s Fund identifies higher pay as being associated with lower turnover and highlights the importance of pay progression. [kingsfund.org.uk]
For providers, the question isn’t necessarily just “What do we pay?” but:
- Is there a meaningful difference between starting pay and pay for experienced staff?
- Do additional skills, qualifications and responsibilities lead to recognition or progression?
- Can staff see how they can develop their career if they stay with us?
Contracts and security
The King’s Fund also identifies higher turnover among people working on zero-hours contracts. [kingsfund.org.uk]
Providers may therefore want to look at whether contractual arrangements are helping or hindering retention. Are staff choosing flexibility, or would some welcome greater certainty over their hours and income?
Training and qualifications
Perhaps most importantly, turnover is higher among staff who do not receive regular training and those without social care qualifications. [kingsfund.org.uk]
Training shouldn’t simply be viewed as a compliance requirement. Investment in learning, development and qualifications can be part of your retention strategy. Giving people opportunities to develop their skills and see a future in social care can help demonstrate that they are valued.
Take five minutes to look at your own workforce
We encourage providers to consider:
- What is your current staff turnover rate, and has it changed over the past 12 months?
- Are there particular roles, teams or services where people are leaving more frequently?
- Do longer-serving care professionals see meaningful progression in pay, responsibility or opportunity?
- Are zero-hours arrangements genuinely meeting employees’ preferences?
- Are staff receiving regular training rather than only mandatory updates?
- How many of your workforce hold, or are working towards, a relevant social care qualification?
- Most importantly, do you know why your staff stay and why they leave?
Small changes won’t resolve all the workforce pressures facing social care, particularly where providers are working within significant funding constraints. But understanding the factors that influence retention can help employers concentrate their resources where they are most likely to make a difference.
Our challenge to providers: don’t just measure how many people you recruit. Measure how well you retain them, understand why people leave, and identify what you can change to give good people more reasons to stay.
Read the workforce analysis from The King’s Fund
Explore the latest Skills for Care State of report [skillsforcare.org.uk]