"Recruitment and development of staff in the care workforce is crucial in ensuring that we have the workforce we need for the 21st century"

The South West has a significantly higher percentage of older people than the national average: The population of those over 65 is anticipated to grow to 25% by 2026 - from 141,000 to 233,000. Of the ten most ‘retired' districts in England, five are in the South West.

There is already an increasing demand for care services which will continue to grow as the population ages, and many more people choose to retire to the South West. As social expectations of the quality of care also increase, it is vital that more people are encouraged to work in social care. By continually promoting good practice in the sector we aim to achieve: 

• A more widely recognised professional image
• Public and media recognition as an essential service
• Career development prospects
• An appreciation in other parts of the economy of the importance of care work and the people who do it

The care providers

The adult care sector has approximately 2,700 registered care homes and 530 domiciliary agencies, with an estimated further 1,500 unregistered establishments (eg. day services) and 5,300 people in receipt of direct payments who organise their own workforce.

60% of the organisations delivering care are privately owned and are commissioned by the statutory sector to deliver services. The region's six County Councils and 10 Unitary Authorities each have their own commissioning activity for adult social services.

The workforce is estimated to be over 150,000 of which about 106,000 work in residential care and 43,000 in domiciliary care; about 8,000 are social workers. In addition, there are estimated to be more than 800,000 unpaid carers.