Staff Recruitment in Social Care: How to Attract & Retain the Right People
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🧲 Recruiting the Right People: Staffing Strategies for a Competitive Care Sector
Staff recruitment has become one of the most pressing issues facing social care providers in 2025. Whether you're delivering supported living, domiciliary care, or mental health support, the ability to attract and retain skilled staff is central to both CQC compliance and service quality.
In a post-pandemic landscape with reduced international recruitment and rising operational costs, building a strong, values-led team has never been more challenging — or more important.
🔍 What’s Driving the Workforce Crisis?
- Reduced reliance on overseas workers following the closure of visa sponsorship routes
- Increased competition from other sectors, such as hospitality and retail
- High cost of living and limited wage flexibility for many providers
- Wider workforce burnout and attrition, especially post-COVID
This combination has led to unfilled rotas, increased agency spend, and disrupted continuity of care.
✅ What CQC and Commissioners Expect
Regulators and commissioners aren’t just asking if you have enough staff — they want to know:
- How you attract people aligned with your service values
- How you assess skills, DBS, and training at recruitment
- How you ensure cultural competence and inclusion
- How you retain and support staff long-term
This means your recruitment plan needs to be more than just functional — it needs to reflect your quality assurance systems and long-term strategy.
💡 Practical Recruitment Strategies That Work
- Values-Based Recruitment (VBR): Prioritise compassion, communication, and resilience alongside formal qualifications
- Local Workforce Partnerships: Collaborate with colleges, DWP, and volunteering networks to create accessible entry routes
- Streamlined Onboarding: Use digital tools and ‘welcome packs’ to reduce paperwork delays and improve first impressions
- Clear Progression Paths: Offer development opportunities (e.g. Care Certificate, NVQs, supervisory roles) from the outset
- Staff Referral Schemes: Reward current employees for bringing in new talent who stay
All of these strategies demonstrate both compliance and innovation when bidding for contracts.
📝 Linking Recruitment to Tenders & Governance
If you’re tendering for contracts or preparing for CQC inspection, your recruitment approach should be clearly documented. This includes:
- Safer recruitment procedures
- Supervision and induction protocols
- Turnover and retention metrics
- Staff wellbeing and development initiatives
Including this evidence can boost your inspection outcome and tender score — especially under KLOEs for Well-Led and Effective.
🔚 Final Thoughts
The staffing crisis in social care isn’t going away overnight — but proactive, people-centred recruitment strategies can make a real difference. Focus on culture, clarity, and communication — and be ready to showcase your approach when it matters most.
Written by Mike Harrison, Founder of Impact Guru Ltd — specialists in bid writing and strategy for social care providers
Visit impact-guru.co.uk to browse downloadable strategies, method statements, or get in touch about tender support.