Page 55 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

Social Care
In South West and Mid Wales:
• Around 23,700 people work in social care,
• 3,277 work in early years and childcare,
• From 2020, around 5,900 domiciliary care workers will be required to register
with specified qualifications,
• 1 in 5 Apprenticeships are in social care – that’s 2,660 people,
• 541 private and third sector organisation provide care services,
• 14% of the social care workforce can speak Welsh, compared to 24% of the general population
• £500m is invested in social care services every year, 50
• There are 800 social care vacancies.
Social care safeguards and protects children and adults of all ages, who may be at risk of harm due to their vulnerability. It helps people live their lives comfortably, particularly those people who require a certain degree of extra practical and physical help.
The WG has introduced a range of legislative reforms which aim to transform the services people receive and hence the skills required of the workforce. The Social Services and Well-being Act places greater emphasis on professionals listening to better understand “What Matters” to individuals and their carers, who may need care and support or protection from potential harm. The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act will mean that more workers will be regulated and qualified, further improving the quality of support provided. This includes around 5,900 domiciliary (home care) workers in this region.
The sector is a major employer in the region with an estimated workforce of around 23,700 workers. These workers are located in a variety of different settings, as noted in the table below51:
Social care setting in SWMW
Central Management and Support Social Work
Domiciliary Care
Residential Care
Day and Community Services Mixed*
Total
Estimated total number of staff
800 2,100 5,900 7,500 3,100 4,200 23,700
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48 https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Health-and-Social-Care/NHS-Staff/NHS-Staff-Summary/nhsstaff-by-staffgroup-year 49 General practitioners and some dental practitioners are not counted as they are contracted staff and therefore not directly employed by the NHS, information is also not provided for the ambulance service as these figures exist at a national level only
50 Social services revenue expenditure by client group, Welsh Government
51 Data from Local authority social services staff numbers, Welsh Government, combined with data from the Social Care Workforce
Development Programme data collection of staff working for services commissioned by local authorities.
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Sector Profiles