PRESS RELEASE : Made With Care 2023 campaign to expand social care workforce [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 9 October 2023.

Next phase of domestic recruitment campaign ‘Made with Care’ launches today to encourage people with the right qualities to begin a career in adult social care.

• Campaign to reach millions of people via video on demand, radio and digital channels
• A range of free and easy-to-use resources will be provided to the adult social care sector to support employers filling in their vacancies

People looking to make a genuine difference to people’s lives are being encouraged to join the adult social care workforce through a government recruitment campaign launching today.

The ‘Made with Care’ campaign is returning for a third year, with advertising promoting the wide range of opportunities available to people across England to build a career in adult social care and help people live happy, healthy, fulfilling lives.

Minister for Care Helen Whately said:

Our care system depends on dedicated care workers who make a difference to the lives of so many people in need of support. This campaign helps build that vital workforce.

I encourage anyone considering the next step in their career, whether just starting out or thinking of their next move, to go online and explore the wide range of opportunities in the care sector.

Running until the end of March 2024, campaign advertising will appear to millions across video on demand platforms such as ITVX, Sky Go and Channel 4; radio and digital audio channels such as Spotify and social media and digital channels like Facebook and Instagram, to direct job seekers to www.adultsocialcare.co.uk.

This year’s campaign builds on the success of last year, which saw over 244,000 candidates search for a social care job on the website after seeing the campaign.

The campaign aims to show the amazing work that care workers do, celebrate the way they empower the people they care for and shine a light on the emotional rewards of the role, to inspire more people to consider a career in adult social care.

Many entry level roles don’t require any specific qualifications – training will be provided on the job, and there are a variety of roles available so those interested in care work can find a job that will fit around them.

Minister for Employment, Guy Opperman MP added:

From care assistants to support workers, there are vacancies across England with a variety of employers that could help jobseekers take their next step on the career ladder.

Anyone interested in a social care role should tap into the free resources available, including our Find a Job portal and their local Jobcentre.

Beverley Tarka, President of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said:

There aren’t many jobs where you can really make a difference to people’s lives, but social care gives you the opportunity to do that every day.  From helping people to live independently, to taking part in their communities and doing the things that help them to enjoy life whatever challenges they might face.

I’ve worked in adult social care for more than 30 years and everyday it feels a real privilege to have such a positive impact for people in my community.  There are currently 152,000 opportunities to improve people’s lives, and I hope this campaign will encourage people to think again about a job in social care.

Oonagh Smyth, CEO of Skills for Care, said:

The figures from our Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set show that, in 2022/23, the sector had around 152,000 vacancies on any given day, so we need to tell a really compelling story about how rewarding a career in social care can be. In particular, we need to try to attract more men and younger people, who are under-represented in the workforce.

We hope this new campaign will help to attract more people into vital care roles – and we’d encourage employers to use it to support their local recruitment efforts.

While the campaign will look to encourage the public to consider if a career in social care may be suitable for them, the Department of Health and Social Care is also calling for all care providers to list their vacancies on the Department of Work and Pension’s ‘Find a Job’ portal, to ensure job seekers visiting the campaign website (www.adultsocialcare.co.uk) can find roles in their local area.

Department for Work and Pensions is also working hard to boost hiring for the sector ahead of the Winter with an expected 100 multi-sector jobs fairs planned, where social care jobs will be on offer between October and Christmas. Jobseekers can speak directly with employers at these events.

At www.adultsocialcare.co.uk, people will be able to find everything they need to research a career in adult social care and, crucially, search and apply for adult social care jobs near them – with support to perfect their CV and advice on interviews.

The campaign is designed to encourage applications from the right personnel but also to make the recruitment process easier with free resources to help providers fill their vacancies.

These will include:

• Free printable and digital assets with flexible branding to use when advertising job opportunities
• The ability to advertise job roles for free on adultsocialcare.co.uk with an audience of thousands

The government is fully committed to the 10-year vision to reform adult social care. Our Next Steps to put People at the Heart of Care plan sets out how we are spending £700 million over two years, including £250 million for the workforce to develop their skills and careers, on top of our £7.5 billion investment to help reduce adult social care waiting times and increase capacity.

This funding will ease pressure and build a stronger NHS to ensure the people of our country get the care they need and deserve.