Vacancies within Scotland’s care services have risen by more than 10% in a year, as providers face acute challenges in filling posts within care homes and care at home services.

A new report published by the Care Inspectorate and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) has revealed nearly half (47%) of care services reported vacancies at the end of last year.

In contrast, across all of Scotland’s sectors 11% of organisations reported having a vacancy around this time – highlighting the unique challenges facing social care.

Three quarters of older people care homes (75%) and 71% of housing support and care at home services had unfilled posts, according to the report.

East Dunbartonshire (57%), Edinburgh (57%) and Inverclyde (55%) reported the highest proportion of care services with vacancies.

More than half of services with vacancies across Scotland said they were facing problems filling posts, with too few applicants reported by 60% of services and too few applicants with experience reported by 50%.

Maree Allison, Acting Chief Executive of the SSSC said the numbers highlight the importance of valuing care work:

“We continue to highlight the need for fair work, fair terms and conditions, and an effective voice for the workforce.”

“We strongly welcome the ongoing debates about the value of care, its workforce and how it is funded. We will continue to play our part in promoting this.”

Jackie Irvine, Chief Executive of the Care Inspectorate, said the report, which is published annually, helps the Scottish government and regulators plan support:

“As a society and a country, we need to properly recognise and reward social service workers with beneficial terms and conditions and proper investment.”

At last week’s care home conference, Ms Irvine highlighted her organisation’s role in “shining a light” on how difficult the current situation is within the social care sector.

She told delegates that the sector is currently at a “cliff edge”.

Nursing vacancies within care services is of significant concern within the report. In services providing nursing support, nursing vacancies has more than doubled in a year, to 16.2% of vacancies unfilled compared to 8% in 2020.

A total of 94% of Scotland’s nearly 12,000 care providers completed the annual survey.

‘Ground breaking’ legislation to ensure health and social care services are sufficiently staffed is to come into force by April 2024, five years after the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act was passed.

The safe staffing act will place a statutory duty on health and social care providers to ensure sufficient staffing levels for patient care, and will strengthen rights of staff who have concerns about staffing levels.

It also will require the Scottish government to report annually on what they are doing to ensure sufficient staffing levels.

Ministers have commissioned the Care Inspectorate to lead a national quality improvement programme to support care services and staff for the introduction of the legislation.

 

Read more: Fewer than 50% of day services fully operational; Scotland’s first complex needs college opens; Carers Week: record caring under pressure

 

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