Recruitment and retention of care staff: the power of informed decision making

The care sector is facing unprecedented challenges. With an acquired brain injury occurring every 90 seconds in the UK, an aging population, changing demographics and extended life expectancies, the demand for care services is growing every year. Brexit reduced the care workforce by approximately 20% and COVID-19 led to burnout and a staff exodus. Added to this is the impact of inflation and the cost of living crisis on wages which has led to a perfect storm in the care sector.

Complex care services are often less resourced than other social care environments such as residential care. The realities of lump sum settlements, “walking wounded” clients, remote and rural locations means a nuanced approach is needed.

So how can case managers and deputies ensure they have the staff in place to support their clients, particularly those with complex care needs? Focusing on both recruitment and retention for longer-term placements can lead to better outcomes for clients, with competitive packages often driving success and helping to preserve a client’s funds. Developing competitive packages to attract – and retain – staff starts with data to better understand localised dynamics and how that aligns with client-specific needs.

A case study: the power of informed decision making in staff management

A client had a disgruntled staff team who believed they were underpaid. The deputy and case manager brought in a specialist recruitment team to support the pay review process.

The recruitment team provided insights on local area compensation and comparable roles. This data facilitated evidence-based discussions with the care team, demonstrating their remuneration was in line with locally available wages. The discussions also highlighted areas for improvement, including providing staff training courses and promoting an experienced team member to take on additional responsibility.

Acting on these recommendations led to several positive outcomes. For instance, it resulted in increased staff engagement and satisfaction as the team felt invested in. What’s more, despite the increased outlay for training and promoting the experienced staff member, the overall effect on the package was net positive. An example of this was reduced case manager administration time.

Long-term benefits included:
 

• improved team morale leading to a better retention rate
• preservation of client funds, from lower recruitment and case manager costs
• enhanced reputation for the case management company involved, demonstrating prioritisation of both staff development and client circumstances.

By taking a data-led approach to remuneration, case managers and deputies are more likely to create engaged care teams and optimise limited client resources.

Top tips for recruitment and retention:
 

1. Understand your local market. Use tools and data to better understand appropriate pay rates for your specific geography.
2. Look beyond pay. While competitive pay is crucial, also consider offering benefits, including enhanced leave allowances, pensions and comprehensive health insurance; sign-on bonuses in high-demand areas; and paid mileage reflected practically in enhanced pay rates for shifts.
3. Invest in professional development. Carers are less likely to stay in a role if it’s treated as temporary, so create clear career progression paths to reduce turnover through upskilling and education.
4. Foster a positive culture. Promote transparency, team building, and work-life balance. This is a sector about people after all.
5. Recognise and appreciate. Implement systems to celebrate individual and team achievements.

But remember, no amount of soft or hard benefits can compensate for incorrect pay rates. In these challenging times, a data-driven, localised approach to care recruitment isn't just beneficial – it's essential.

Understanding local dynamics: introducing Care Pay Hub

With its in-depth understanding of the impact of local dynamics on the care sector, Social Care Recruiting has created the Care Pay Hub to provide deputies and case managers with a high-level view of how geography can affect care packages.

For example, there is a general trend that the ‘base hourly rate’ for staff compensation is higher in the South than in the North. However, this shouldn’t be taken as a rule of thumb as explained below:

These differences underscore why a one-size-fits-all approach to care recruitment doesn't work.
 

This image is an excerpt from Social Care Recruitment’s BABICM non-academic category winning poster on Localised Recruitment.

This article was kindly contributed by Social Care Recruiting. Social Care Recruiting helps deputies find and retain staff. It’s committed to supporting the care sector with its unique blend of complex care experience and analytical expertise. The team is happy to have no-obligation discussions about how they can help. Visit the website for more information or access the free CarePayHub.