The health and social care sector is forecast to grow at a rate of 1% per year to 2012, which is slightly lower than in the1990s. There are no separate figures for social care, but an ageing society is likely to result in an expansion of this sub-sector.

Healthcare and related personal services (including care assistants and home carers who are arguably the biggest part of the social care workforce) are among the fastest growing occupations at a rate of 3% per year between 1999 and 2010, followed by health and social services managers (2.0-2.9%) and therapists (1.0-1.9%).

However, the social care sector is currently experiencing major recruitment and retention problems with low pay, lack of career progression opportunities and image problems playing a key role. Occupational therapist and social worker posts are hardest to fill. Responses to staff shortages have prompted a number of measures, including a national recruitment campaign.

Policies aiming to modernise social services have initiated major changes in the social care sector.

Key workforce development issues in social care include:

• up-skilling the workforce (staff and managers) to meet statutory requirements
• provision of mandatory induction courses and supervision
• provision of training and suitable qualifications for evolving job roles and new services
• training more social workers through employment based programmes to increase supply

Substantial progress has been made to up-skill a workforce of which 80% had no qualifications until recently. But are also barriers along the way, such as training capacity constraints, funding problems in the independent sector and reservations amongst very experienced staff to qualify for a job they have done for years. The qualification requirements will help to professionalize the sector and may make it more attractive if these changes also lead to better career opportunities. However, there are concerns that these qualifications do not translate into better pay.

Changes in service delivery aimed at providing user-centred services will have a profound effect on the skill mix of the workforce and the skills requirements. New roles bringing together elements of existing occupational groups are emerging and a closer co-operation of relevant agencies requires more team-working and interdisciplinary skills. The closer co-operation between health and social care has also human resources implications, in terms of possible staff transfers, pay structures and career opportunities.

At least 80% of the social care workforce is female, with many of them working part-time, and about 9% of social services staff are from ethnic minorities. There are efforts to recruit from a more diverse workforce to reduce staff shortages, to match local service needs and to decrease the dependency on women.

Employment in the health and social care sector is forecast to grow at a slightly higher rate in the Midlands and southern regions than in northern regions. Yet recruitment is a particular problem for social services departments in London and the south east.

Research on the social care sector is focused on recruitment and retention issues and how best to tackle them; education and training; and the image of the sector.