First, the good news. Vacancies in adult social care fell slightly in 2022/23, from a record 164,000 in 2021/22 to 152,000 in 2022/23.* The number of filled posts increased and there was also a small fall in staff turnover. Together, the figures demonstrate a small but significant release of pressure on the social care sector. Providers, and people who draw on services, will be desperate for it to continue.  

Digging into the numbers, however, it’s clear that the fall in vacancies was due to a large increase in the number of care workers coming to the UK from abroad, from 20,000 in 2021/22 to 70,000 in 2022/23. These new overseas workers, while welcome, are not by themselves the answer to the long-term recruitment crisis in social care.