Improve public image and pay to solve children’s home staffing crisis, say providers

In response to a warning from the Independent Children's Homes Association (ICHA) that homes are “struggling to recruit staff”, Kevin Gallagher, managing director of Amberleigh Care, said: “The frontline staff are doing highly skilled work – it needs to be valued.”

Amberleigh provides specialist care and education to adolescent boys with harmful sexual behaviours across two 12-placement settings.

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Writing on LinkedIn, Gallagher revealed that the organisation’s care staff are set to receive a seven to 10 per cent salary increase from 1 October while other staff will receive a two per cent rise next year.

“[Working in residential care] can be hugely rewarding and also offer working patterns that can suit many people's lives. It's equally demanding – physically and emotionally – highly specialist and technical, not for everyone (or anyone). Not all the people who could do it want to, not all the people who want to are necessarily suited to it either,” he said.

However, the trained social worker and manager added that some providers were reluctant to raise staff costs due to concerns over losing local authority commissions.

“For a workforce on generally lower earnings in society, the reality is that people can't necessarily afford the 'luxury' of some of these benefits – the money matters and there is nothing wrong with that – people need to plan, they want mortgages, they have aspirations.

“It’s also a reality that staff salaries are by far and away the biggest single cost line in a placement fee - and local authorities, strapped for cash, don't want to see costs increase.

“Something needs to change,” Gallagher said.

The post came after an internal memo to members of the ICHA, seen by CYP Now, stated that people are reluctant to work in the sector and qualified staff being poached by other establishments.

The sector also needs greater understanding among politicians and in the media to boost recruitment, Gallagher said.

Others have also raised concerns over public perceptions of residential care hampering recruitment.

A care sector consultant told CYP Now that they had heard of a provider offering £55,000 for a children's home manager position but struggling for six months to recruit. 

"The role has become undervalued and unappreciated, especially by other professionals working with homes," they said.

"[Residential managers], despite being the most qualified and experienced person, and knowing the children best, can very often feel looked down upon by Ofsted, social workers, teachers and health professionals. Add to that, the constant accusations (sometimes in the media and sadly sometimes directly) that they do what they do for profit. They're a pretty battered workforce that has had no investment or recognition over the decades."