Retaining and Developing Staff in Older People’s Services: Workforce Stability for Ageing Well
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Retention is not a “soft” workforce issue in older people’s services; it is a core safety and quality issue. High turnover disrupts continuity, increases risk, and undermines trust for people who rely on familiar faces. Ageing well depends on stable relationships, confident staff and teams who know the people they support—not a revolving door of unfamiliar workers.
Two internal reference points that underpin effective retention strategies are the Workforce Development & Retention — Mini Series and the Quality Assurance — Mini Series, which link staff experience directly to service outcomes.
Why staff leave older people’s services
Exit interviews and workforce data consistently highlight similar drivers:
- Unrealistic rotas and time pressure.
- Lack of continuity and relationship-building.
- Poor supervision or inaccessible managers.
- Emotional exhaustion without support.
- No clear development or progression.
Retention improves when services design work that is doable, supported and meaningful.
Commissioner expectation
Commissioner expectation: providers demonstrate workforce stability, low avoidable turnover, and strategies that support continuity and quality. Commissioners increasingly assess how workforce design reduces risk and system pressure.
Regulator / Inspector expectation (CQC)
Regulator / Inspector expectation (CQC): staff are supported, supervised and developed. Inspectors will consider whether staffing arrangements enable safe, compassionate and consistent care.
Operational example 1: Redesigning rotas to protect continuity
Context: A homecare service had high turnover driven by fragmented rotas and constant last-minute changes.
Support approach: The provider moved to micro-teams covering defined areas and people, with protected continuity targets.
Day-to-day delivery detail: Coordinators prioritised consistency over minor efficiency gains. Changes were escalated and reviewed weekly to identify systemic issues.
How effectiveness/change is evidenced: Turnover reduced, complaints fell, and continuity metrics improved. Workforce data was used in commissioning reviews.
Operational example 2: Emotional support and reflective supervision
Context: Staff reported emotional fatigue linked to decline and end-of-life care.
Support approach: Supervision was redesigned to include reflective space, not just task review.
Day-to-day delivery detail: Supervisors used structured prompts to discuss emotional impact, confidence and boundaries, alongside competence.
How effectiveness/change is evidenced: Sickness absence reduced and staff engagement scores improved.
Operational example 3: Creating progression without forcing people into management
Context: Experienced care staff left because the only progression route was management.
Support approach: The service introduced senior practitioner roles focused on mentoring and quality.
Day-to-day delivery detail: Senior practitioners supported new staff, led observations and acted as escalation points.
How effectiveness/change is evidenced: Retention improved among experienced staff and quality audits showed more consistent practice.
Governance and workforce assurance
Retention strategies should be monitored through:
- Turnover and sickness trends.
- Exit interview themes.
- Supervision completion and quality.
- Continuity and complaint data.
Why retention underpins ageing well
When staff stay, people experience familiarity, trust and better outcomes. Stable teams notice subtle changes earlier, communicate more effectively, and provide calmer, more reliable support. Retention is therefore one of the strongest predictors of ageing well in practice.
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