Children's home leaders urge government to tackle workforce crisis

The National Centre for Excellence in Residential Child Care (NCERCC) has contacted the Department for Education and leaders of the Care Review calling for a motion containing possible solutions to the crisis to be tabled before parliament.

Proposals put forward by the NCERCC would require the Education Secretary to submit a review to parliament every two years detailing the system in place for assessing and meeting the workforce needs of social care placements for children in England.

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The NCERCC is also calling for an independently verified assessment of current workforce numbers and the projected supply for the following five, 10 and 20 years as well as an independently verified assessment of workforce numbers based on the projected health and care needs of the population over the same time periods “consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility long-term fiscal projections”.

The implementation of such assessments would strengthen workforce planning in children’s social care placements, NCERCC manager Jonathan Stanley said.

“We must have the right numbers, skills, values and behaviours to deliver world-leading services and continued high standards of care. The Secretary of State must ensure a long-term approach to workforce planning,” he added.

Plans for the motion mirror an amendment to the Health and Care Bill re-tabled by Jeremy Hunt, who is now chair of the health and social care committee.

Hunt’s amendment proposes that the Health Secretary must submit a report to parliament every two years describing the system in place for assessing and meeting the workforce needs of the health, social care and public health services in England. 

Independently verified assessments of current and projected workforce numbers must also be undertaken every five, 10 and 20 years, the amendment, first tabled by Chris Skidmore, Conservative MP for Kingston, states.

This amendment has been backed by more than 60 health and care organisations.

Calling for the introduction of similar oversight of the children’s residential care workforce, Stanley added: “The workforce crisis is apparent now, the cause of social care placements not currently having regular, independent and public workforce projection data. A strong foundation for strategic long-term decisions are needed about funding, workforce planning, regional shortages and the skill mix required to help the system keep up with rising need, based on evolving changes in demand and in working patterns among staff.”

Recent reports from members of the Independent Children’s Homes Association highlight the staffing crisis within children’s residential care.

An internal memo sent to members in September warned that homes are “struggling to recruit staff” with larger companies “poaching” highly skilled staff from smaller organisations.