The scale of the ‘perfect storm’ of increasing difficulty recruiting and retaining skilled support workers has been laid bare through new research from BABICM.
The survey of the organisation’s membership attracted over 200 responses in only six days, and highlighted the breadth of challenges case managers face in the current climate.
Among the headline findings were:
- over 90 per cent had experienced increased difficulty in recruiting
- 82 per cent anticipated recruitment and retention of staff would be impacted by the implementation of a mandatory vaccination policy
- 72 per cent believed case managers should be vaccinated
Reasons given for the recruitment problems included:
- Low pay
- Increased rates of pay in other sectors
- Poor working conditions
- The task is a skilled task and those skills are not seen as present in some/many candidates that do apply
- Support Work agencies not being able to access staff
- Loss of candidates and loss of some existing staff due to Brexit
- Unsociable hours
- Low status of employment, an undervaluing of the role of support worker/rehabilitation assistant. A sense that the career was not an attractive one.
- Impact of the pandemic on the role
- Introduction of mandatory vaccinations
- Pre-existing crisis in recruitment (pre-Brexit and pre-pandemic)
BABICM launched its research last month in response to concerns being raised from its membership about the mounting challenges in recruitment, and the specific effects of this on clients’ direct health, welfare and safety concerns, financial impacts on the cost of care and the potential for clients to run out of funds to meet their needs.
Also, said BABICM, those involved in personal injury litigation were asking for information to inform their calculations relating to the future costs of care for cases yet to be settled.
In summary, BABICM said: “The survey link was only open for 6 days and received over 200 responses. This may be considered highly indicative that the issue of recruitment is a very taxing one presently for case managers.
“The uniformity of responses with regards the impact upon recruitment and retention of low rates of pay, Brexit, employment conditions, the impact of the pandemic and the status of support work was significant.
“The impact of recruitment difficulties is felt in terms of decreased quality of life and choice for service users, increased costs to service users/funders, increased reliance upon family support, increased case management time and costs, increased reliance upon more expensive services, increased risks, safeguarding issues, and loss of community placement.
“These were not expressed solely as concerns but as actually manifesting presently.
“The nature of compulsory vaccinations to maintain employment/achieve new employment was seen by some as an ethical question, with views expressed across the spectrum from those who believed that this was a matter of personal choice to others who believed that mandating vaccinations was the correct course of action to reduce risks.
“The impact of the proposed mandating of vaccinations was viewed by most as worsening an already difficult situation with regards recruitment and, as was often noted, the retention of good, trained and skilled staff already in post.
“The possible loss of skilled and experienced staff anticipated by the mandating of vaccinations was considered to increase risks by some, particularly if this led to the loss of employment of skilled and experienced staff.
“The reliance solely upon vaccination to manage risk of infection was highlighted by some as being unlikely to achieve the desired outcome.
“The crisis of recruitment was considered ongoing with no end in sight and to have predated the law regarding mandatory vaccination.
“Increasing wages and improving conditions of work are suggested as necessary. Balanced against this is a recognition that funding is simply not available for some, in particular those with settled litigation claims or those reliant upon the state for funding/partial funding.”
