Rising turnover and vacancy rate in East Sussex's care sector

In that financial year the skills for workforce data shows there were 17,000 filled posts in the county across the independent sector, local authority and jobs working with direct payment recipients.

Figures show the turnover rate for staff in that year was 34 per cent compared to 27.8 per cent the year before.

The vacancy rate has also risen from 4.6 per cent to 8.8 per cent.

Vacancy and turnover rates have both risen nationally and regionally since March 2021.

According to East Sussex County Council officers, over the next three years the adult social care workforce programme aims to respond to these issues and consists of six workstreams.

These are strategic workforce planning, leadership and management, recruitment, retention, building and enhancing social justice in the workforce and lastly enhancing the wellbeing of the workforce.

A report said: “Our workforce and that of the independent sector, are fundamental in supporting East Sussex residents to live fulfilling and independent lives.

"It is necessary and timely to consider our long-term workforce requirements supported by detailed workforce planning to enable us to increase capacity necessary to ensure that we have sufficient staff with the right skills and knowledge to meet the anticipated increase in demand.

“The ASC Workforce Strategy will build upon that ambition and implement the initiatives set out in the ‘People at the heart of care’ white paper which will contribute to laying the foundations necessary to stabilise our essential workforce.”

ESCC’s people scrutiny committee is set to discuss an update next week.