Shocking statistics from a recent study have shown that almost 50% of all care home staff leave their positions within 12 months.
Some move on to different care roles, whereas others who’ve reported a negative experience of their time working in care often leave the industry entirely with no plans to return.
This is having a seriously detrimental effect on the care staff shortfall currently being experienced in the UK, and with an increasingly aged population, things are only going to get worse.
Some of the main reasons cited for care staff leaving their roles were long hours, minimum wage pay, backbreaking work, stress and poor training opportunities. These reasons aren’t just contributing to low employee retention rates, but they are also putting off potential newcomers to the industry, so the long-term outlook for the care industry remains bleak.
The Government has promised a cash injection to boost the care industry and tackle the staff shortfall, but many current care home managers believe that how this money is spent is crucial to ensuring that current staff members are retained and that the care industry becomes a more appealing prospect for newcomers.
Technology is already beginning to play a vital role in reducing the workload of care home staff, with a variety of robotic lifting devices and humanoid ‘helpers’ helping lessen the physical burden of staff and keep residents entertained.
Also, more investment should be made in training to attract and retain good quality staff who are seeking to improve their skills and progress their careers in this essential industry. Not only will this give employees a sense of achievement, but it will ensure that staff can offer the best quality care to their residents.
Another challenge for care home managers is zero hours contracts. Many employees are dubious of taking on a role with these terms, and many media outlets and groups are piling on the pressure to put an end to a type of contract that is perceived as being unfair and causing significant financial hardship to those who need the support most.
Once these issues have been overcome, there is hope for the future of care homes as their vacancies will be far more attractive and the staff that they’ve worked so hard to engage and recruit will be far happier and therefore less likely leave for other opportunities.
About novacare | recruit
Novacare | recruit is a cloud based recruitment tool that allows users to track the status of applications 24/7 and also helps to streamline the recruitment process. It is the first recruitment software specifically designed for the care sector.
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