The Big Opportunity

PUBLISHED: July 2024

Part 1: What motivates the next generation of Care professionals to stay in the sector?

We interviewed 1,000 Health and Social Care leavers and joiners for a third year in a row.

76% of respondents under 25 years old plan to stay in Social Care for 12+ months, demonstrating reliability and passion.

However, at a macro level, there were 30k fewer domestic job applications in Social Care in 2023. Therefore, retaining every sector entrant is essential.

To this end, 8 in 10 respondents believe access to the latest Care technology matters when choosing to stay with an employer.

Achieving workforce sustainability then comes down to HOW providers deliver on their top priorities: flexibility and career transparency.

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Executive summary

Hallmark Foundation is pleased to be working with Sona on this important research. The workforce is key to the future of quality care.

There will be more than half a million new care sector jobs over the next decade, offering rapid career progression. But as recent research shows, we need to do much more to attract and retain young people.

That requires Care employers to be more flexible, make greater use of technology, and improve communication and culture in the sector. All that demands effective leadership and management. The Sona research points towards the key changes needed and the good news is that they’re all within reach for many if not most providers.

Hallmark Foundation is also looking at how we build stronger links between Care providers and their local schools and colleges to give young people a taster of working in Care. Those young people are the future of the sector and coming together to support them is paramount.

Stephen Burke, CEO of Hallmark Foundation