SOCIAL care vacancies in Scotland have risen by almost 43% this year, according to new research.
The study has also shown more than a third (37%) of people working in the sector want to leave it within five years.
The employment group Totaljobs said its study exposed the growing need for social care staff, which was being driven by the country’s ageing population, and more had to be done to future-proof the sector.
However, it pointed out that 67% of people would not consider working in the sector, which was leading to existing staff increasingly looking to leave it and one in five already looking for other jobs.
According to estimates, there will be 38,100 more people of pensionable age in Scotland by mid-2028, around 19% of the population.
Moreover, said the company, the number of pensioners was projected to increase by 240,300 by mid-2043, which showed the need for providers to do more to attract workers, particularly to help fill entry-level roles.
It said that over half (53%) of people in the UK aged between 16-25 claimed that no-one had ever spoken to them about social care as a career option, highlighting the importance of promoting the career opportunities within the sector.
Lynn Cahillane, head of marketing at Totaljobs, said: “Our research highlights that more needs to be done to future-proof a sector in demand to ensure people receive the care they need.
“While the UK’s political parties have all pledged further support of the industry, it’s key that care employers must also ensure they introduce the right strategies to attract, recruit and retain the right carers at this crucial time.
“Despite these figures coming out just before Christmas, there are some green shoots with us seeing 42,000 social care applications in Scotland in the first half of 2019.
“The key now is for care providers to ensure they’re promoting the range of opportunities available and putting in place effective onboarding
processes to help reduce turnover.”
Although many carers were planning to leave the sector, more than 9000 applications were made for social care roles on Totaljobs.com in Scotland in September, a 74% yearly increase. On average, each advertised role attracted more than 10 applications – a 22% rise year-on-year.
The NHS, along with social care and other services, relies on immigration, and although there is no indication of the potential impact of Brexit on these figures and the need for more staff, there may be an affect on the service in the future.
Just last month, the Scottish Government stepped up its calls for control over immigration to be devolved after an expert group said it would be vital to tackle a depopulation timebomb in Scotland. It came amid concerns that the post-Brexit halt on free movement could see Scotland’s total workforce cut by thousands.
The Advisory Group on Migration and Population report said immigration programmes were a “swift and reliable” way to increase the labour force. Professor Christina Boswell, from the University of Edinburgh, who chairs the group, said it had considered examples from Australia, Canada, Spain and Sweden. She added: “These schemes show immigration programmes can be an efficient and effective means of addressing demographic challenges when carefully designed and implemented.”
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