Recruitment and Retention | Employment in the Care Sector
Are you facing recruitment and retention rate difficulties within your care home?
At Spectrum Care, we not only offer networking opportunities and cost-saving benefits, but we’re also dedicated to providing you with crucial industry updates and insights.
As part of this commitment, we’re delving deep into the challenges associated with recruitment and retention, equipping you with the knowledge and tools necessary to overcome these hurdles:
Recruitment and Retention: Addressing Recruitment Challenges in the Care Sector
Are the hurdles of recruiting new staff members becoming increasingly more daunting?
Understanding the reasons behind this decline is the key to finding solutions. The aftermath of Brexit has significantly impacted the care system's heavy reliance on EU and international recruitment. This challenge has intensified due to the complexities of leaving the EU.
The confluence of Brexit and the pandemic has led to shortages of both staff and medicine in the health and care sector. This, in turn, has created adverse conditions for both clients and workers, contributing to a reduced interest in pursuing careers in care.
The still-rippling effects from COVID-19 have influenced the recruitment decline. Carers often endure long hours and formidable challenges, in exchange for relatively modest compensation.
As well as this, the ageing population, coupled with increased life expectancy, has surged the demand for caregivers. It’s fallen to those already working in care to meet these demands while ensuring quality of care — something which is not sustainable.
Understanding High Staff Turnover: Factors Influencing Turnover Rates
Correlating with the challenges mentioned previously, care homes are grappling with retaining staff due to various factors. One critical element is the lack of adequate compensation for the pivotal work they perform.
Additionally, inadequate governmental funding and stigma surrounding caregiving contribute to this challenge.
Addressing this requires a shift in the narrative surrounding caregiving, coupled with government recognition and support.
A prominent concern for care staff is the feeling of being overworked, exacerbated by the scarcity of recruitment and skilled professionals.
Finding Solutions: Navigating the Recruitment and Retention Cycle
Effectively addressing recruitment and retention challenges in the care sector necessitates a holistic approach; improving one aspect inherently improves the other.
While government backing is vital to implementing necessary changes and providing funding and awareness solutions, individual organisations can also contribute significantly.
As a care organisation, you can:
Establish clear and constructive pathways for both new and existing staff. By offering your staff opportunities for comprehensive training and career progression, you can empower them to maximise their potential and foster long-term commitment.
Competitive salaries, company perks, and comprehensive support are also crucial. You can utilise Spectrum Care to unlock discounts, promotional prices, and rebates to enhance your internal funds. We also recommend embracing digital processes to save time, enabling your staff to dedicate more time to delivering a quality service.
Explore international recruitment programmes. Another avenue for sourcing qualified staff from around the world, further bolstering the UK's care workforce, this will increase your staffing levels, and reduce pressure on existing employees. Our vetted and approved recruitment suppliers can assist you here, including with applying for sponsorship licences.
At Spectrum Care, we're committed to helping your organisation address these challenges head-on.
Our comprehensive webinars, seminars, documents and insights, which are available to our members, aim to empower you to create a thriving care environment, promoting both recruitment and retention.
As well as this, we’ve also negotiated attractive benefits with our health insurance suppliers to assist with staff retention.
Please contact a member of our team for further information about how Spectrum Care can help you.
Alternatively, why not read our previous blog to discover how we can help your organisation save money?
