An aging workforce, whose numbers and skill set are struggling to keep pace with demand: that is a description that could be applied to much of the public sector. But when it concerns the very people who care and provide homes for society's most vulnerable children, there is even more reason to be concerned.
It is estimated that 9,000 foster carers leave the role every year, representing a 13 per cent annual turnover of foster carers across the UK. That is a lot of people to recruit to just stand still. But standing still is unlikely to be good enough in the future: the number of children subject to care proceedings has risen significantly over the past four years, and the demographic of the foster care workforce is getting older, suggesting the rate of those leaving the role will also increase.
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