Former Hull adult social care workers say better pay is needed to tackle recruitment issues

Available for over a year

Two former adult social care workers from Hull say these roles should be better paid and and more appreciated in order to recruit and retain more staff. Louise Akester and Ifeoma Racheal Ugwu from Hull have been speaking to BBC Political Reporter Sarah Sanderson about their experiences working in the sector ahead of a BBC Politics North special programme on Adult Social Care on 5th March 2023 (Listen here). Recent figures from Skills for Care revealed that vacancy rates within adult social care are at their highest since records began in 2012/13 and that the number of vacancies increased by 52% in 2021/22 by 55,000 to 165,000 vacant posts. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are grateful every day for the selfless work of our social care staff. With a record £7.5 billion promised to social care over the next two years – the biggest funding increase in history – we are committed to addressing workforce pressures and supporting a more joined-up and patient-focused health and care system.”