The State of the adult social care sector and workforce in England is Skills for Care’s yearly analysis of the care workforce, published each October. It draws on the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS), which holds records for more than 750,000 staff across over 21,000 care locations, and estimates the size, pay, turnover and make-up of the whole sector.
Skills for Care is the government-backed workforce development body for adult social care in England. Its figures are widely used by the Department of Health and Social Care, councils and providers when planning services.
Adult social care workforce 2026: the headline figures
These are the national figures for 2025/26 from the 2026 report and Skills for Care’s June 2026 release.
| Measure (England, 2025/26) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total posts | 1.69 million |
| Filled posts | 1.59 million (up 22,000, or 1.4%) |
| People working in adult social care | 1.46 million |
| Vacant posts on an average day | around 96,000 (down 10.5%) |
| Vacancy rate | 6.2% (7.0% in 2024/25) |
| Care and support worker filled posts | 925,000 |
| Care and support worker turnover | 26.9% (about 221,000 leavers) |
| Registered manager vacancy rate | 10.2% |
| Filled posts in services for adults with a learning disability and/or autism | 194,000 |
| Extra posts needed by 2040 | 410,000 |
Three points stand out.
- Vacancies are at a 10-year low. At 6.2%, the vacancy rate is the lowest since 2015/16, down from a peak of around 150,000 vacancies in 2021/22. It is still about three times the rate in the wider economy.
- Growth has slowed. Filled posts grew 1.4%, the slowest rate in four years.
- The domestic workforce is shrinking. Posts filled by British nationals fell by 40,000 in a year and by 130,000 since 2020/21.
Why is international recruitment falling?
New international recruits arriving directly from abroad fell to around 30,000 in 2025/26, the lowest level in four years. The main reason is policy: the Care Worker visa route closed to new overseas applicants on 22 July 2025.
People already in the UK on other visas can still extend or switch into care worker and senior care worker roles during a transition period that runs until 22 July 2028, which the government says it will keep under review.
For the sector, this means future growth depends much more on recruiting and keeping people who already live in the UK. That is why pay, contracts and training are now under the spotlight.
Care worker pay in 2026
Skills for Care’s pay report put the median hourly rate for independent-sector care workers at £12.60 in December 2025. That was 39p above the National Living Wage at the time (£12.21).
Since 1 April 2026, the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over has been £12.71 an hour, so employers have had to raise pay again. Skills for Care says its March 2026 pay figures will follow in its next pay report.
Other pay findings from the December 2025 data:
- Care workers with five or more years’ experience earned on average just 10p an hour more than those new to the sector.
- Senior care workers had a median of £13.33, about 6% more than care workers.
- A newly appointed NHS healthcare assistant on Band 3 earned 15p an hour more than the care worker median, rising to £1.00 more after two years.
- Care worker pay was 1p below the median for sales and retail assistants.
For domiciliary care services, which in Skills for Care’s definition include supported living and extra care, mean care worker pay in the independent sector was £12.96 an hour in 2025/26.
We have not quoted a single “average salary” for support workers because annual earnings depend heavily on hours, shift patterns and sleep-in arrangements. The legal floor is the clearest benchmark: £12.71 an hour for anyone aged 21 or over.
Zero-hours contracts and working patterns
How people are employed matters as much as hourly pay. In 2025/26:
- 21% of all filled posts in adult social care were on zero-hours contracts (around 325,000).
- In domiciliary care the figure was 34%, rising to 44% of care workers in those services.
- 58% of the workforce worked full time and 88% were on permanent contracts.
The report also notes that care workers on zero-hours contracts are more likely to leave. Media coverage of the report highlighted Skills for Care’s finding that care worker turnover fell from 34.3% to 15.3% where employers combined competitive pay, guaranteed hours, training, qualifications and full-time work.
Turnover: who leaves, and why it matters
Care and support worker turnover was 26.9% in 2025/26. In domiciliary care, which includes supported living, overall turnover was 23.5%, and 28.6% for care workers.
Younger staff are the most likely to move on. Coverage of the report put turnover among under-25s at 35.5%, the highest of any age group, while under-25s make up only about 7% of the care workforce.
Leadership also makes a difference. The same coverage reported that care worker turnover fell from 28.3% to 20.6% as registered managers became more experienced. With the registered manager vacancy rate at 10.2% and around 31% of registered managers aged 55 or over, stable leadership is a growing pressure point.
Why turnover matters to families
Every time a support worker leaves, the person they support has to build trust with someone new. For adults with a learning disability, autism or complex needs, a change of staff can affect routines, communication and wellbeing. Low turnover is one of the clearest signs of a well-run service.
Skills and responsibilities are growing
The 2026 report shows care workers are taking on more health-related tasks.
- Delegated healthcare activities: in 59% of CQC-regulated services that reported doing them, non-nursing staff carried out delegated healthcare activities. These are tasks such as some medication routes or health monitoring, delegated by a healthcare professional.
- Qualifications: in domiciliary care, 44% of staff held a relevant social care qualification, and 35% of direct care workers were qualified at Level 2 or above.
- Care Certificate: in domiciliary care, 44% of staff had completed it, 14% were part-way through and 42% had not started.
- Care Workforce Pathway: 26% of independent-sector employers who answered said they use the pathway, while 44% did not know about it.
The Care Workforce Pathway sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours expected at each level of a care career. Alongside mandatory Oliver McGowan training on learning disability and autism, it gives support workers a clearer route to develop and be recognised.
What does the 2026 report mean for support workers?
For people working in care, or thinking about it, the data points to a few practical conclusions.
- Demand is not going away. The sector is projected to need 410,000 more posts by 2040, and with overseas recruitment closed, UK-based workers are in demand.
- Conditions differ widely between employers. Zero-hours use, guaranteed hours, paid training and sick pay vary a lot. The report found only 24% of independent-sector employers who responded paid above Statutory Sick Pay.
- Experience is poorly rewarded in pay alone. A 10p experience premium means progression usually comes from moving into senior, specialist or leadership roles.
- Training is a real advantage. Completing the Care Certificate, a Level 2 or 3 qualification and specialist training makes you more confident and more employable.
- Pay reform is coming, slowly. Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, the government is setting up an Adult Social Care Negotiating Body. Negotiations are expected to start around April 2027, with the first Fair Pay Agreement due to take effect in April 2028.
When comparing jobs, ask each employer about guaranteed hours, paid training time, sick pay, travel time, sleep-in pay and how often rotas change. These conditions affect your income and wellbeing as much as the hourly rate.
What does it mean for families choosing support?
Falling vacancies are good news, but the national figure hides big differences between providers. When you are choosing supported living or home care for a relative, workforce questions are some of the most useful you can ask.
| Question to ask a provider | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How long have the staff in this team worked here? | Shows continuity and stability |
| How do you match support workers to the person? | Shared interests and communication styles build trust |
| Are staff on guaranteed hours or zero-hours contracts? | Linked to retention in the Skills for Care data |
| What training do staff complete beyond the Care Certificate? | Shows skills for autism, learning disability or complex needs |
| Has every worker completed Oliver McGowan training? | CQC-registered providers must train staff in learning disability and autism, and this is the government’s preferred training |
| How long has the registered manager been in post? | Manager experience is linked to lower turnover |
| How do you cover sickness and holidays? | Reveals reliance on agency staff |
A good provider will answer these openly. You can also read the provider’s latest CQC report, which looks at whether services have enough suitably qualified, competent and experienced staff.
Key takeaways
- Adult social care in England had 1.59 million filled posts and a 6.2% vacancy rate in 2025/26, the lowest vacancy rate in a decade.
- Growth slowed to 1.4% as British workers fell by 40,000 and new recruits from abroad dropped to around 30,000.
- Care worker median pay was £12.60 in December 2025; the legal minimum for over-21s is now £12.71.
- Zero-hours contracts remain common in domiciliary care, and they are linked to higher turnover.
- The first Fair Pay Agreement for care workers is due in April 2028.
- For families, staff stability, training and management experience are the questions to ask.
How AESN Care approaches its workforce
At AESN Care, we provide supported living and domiciliary care for adults with learning disabilities, autism, mental health needs, physical disabilities, dementia and complex needs. The national data reinforces what we see every day: people get the best support from consistent teams who know them well, and support workers stay when they feel trained, valued and part of a team.
If you are a family member or commissioner, use the questions above when you speak to any provider, including us. You can contact our team to ask how we recruit, train and match staff for the person you support.
If you are a support worker or thinking of joining care, read our guide on how to become a support worker in the UK, then see our current care careers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the adult social care vacancy rate in 2026?
Skills for Care’s latest data puts the adult social care vacancy rate in England at 6.2% for 2025/26, equal to around 96,000 vacant posts on an average day. This is the lowest rate since 2015/16, but still around three times the vacancy rate in the wider economy.
How many people work in adult social care in England?
An estimated 1.46 million people worked in adult social care in England in 2025/26, filling 1.59 million posts. Some people hold more than one job. Care and support workers make up the largest group, with about 925,000 filled posts.
What is the average pay for a care worker in 2026?
The median hourly pay for independent-sector care workers was £12.60 in December 2025, according to Skills for Care. Since April 2026 the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over has been £12.71, so this is the legal minimum. Updated March 2026 pay data is due in Skills for Care’s next pay report.
Why are fewer international care workers coming to the UK?
The Care Worker visa route closed to new overseas applicants on 22 July 2025. People already in the UK can still switch or extend into care roles until 22 July 2028. New international recruits arriving from abroad fell to around 30,000 in 2025/26, the lowest in four years.
What is the staff turnover rate in social care?
Turnover for care and support workers was 26.9% in 2025/26, equal to about 221,000 leavers. In domiciliary care services, which include supported living, turnover was 23.5% overall and 28.6% for care workers.
When will the Fair Pay Agreement for care workers start?
The government expects the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body to begin negotiations around April 2027, with the first Fair Pay Agreement taking effect in April 2028. It has set up to £500 million for councils in the first year.
How can families check if a care provider has a stable workforce?
Ask how long staff have been in the team, whether they are on guaranteed hours, what training they complete and how long the registered manager has been in post. Read the provider’s latest CQC inspection report as well.
