Care Worker Perceptions of Recruitment and Retention in Adult Social Care Settings

Abstract

In England, the Adult Social Care (ASC) sector continues to grow and is faced with repeated scrutiny regarding the availability and effectiveness of care workers. This results in difficult challenges for organisations, such as funding demands, recruitment costs, and job satisfaction. These challenges are combined with the increasing demand to meet the needs of vulnerable adults and provide high-quality care. Some organisations have improved their delivery of care, whilst others have declined in quality as providers have struggled with the challenges they face (Care Quality Commission (CQC), 2019). These challenges are exacerbated by the high turnover in staffing levels. Although organisations have processes in place, such as exit interviews, there appears to be a lack of clear identification of the causes of turnover in ASC settings. This research study contributes to the debate on how to improve recruitment and retention in ASC settings. This research takes a qualitative approach and seeks to highlight key factors affecting recruitment and retention issues through the views and experiences of care workers to consider strategies to improve the workforce and quality of care for vulnerable adults. This thesis presents findings from semi-structured interviews with present care workers and managers from 2019-2020 working in residential care homes, domiciliary care providers and supported accommodation. The research identified that individual personalities, pay, training, management, and organisational practices are all influential to care worker satisfaction.