Impact report: 2024 to 2025

We’re committed to improving the well-being of the social care and early years workforce. Our 2024 social care workforce survey shows that while the workforce’s well-being is below the UK average, there are positive signs. For example, 77 per cent of workers tell us their morale is good and 41 per cent say they feel they have enough support to manage stress.

To support the workforce, we’ve shared well-being resources, held many learning events and organised initiatives such as Well-being Week, which was well received. These efforts, along with others such as the Social Care Workforce Delivery Plan 2024 to 2027, aim to create a motivated, engaged and valued workforce.

Recognising the workforce

We’re dedicated to making sure the social care and early years workforce is highly recognised and valued. Our recent surveys show that public opinion of the workforce has improved, with 32 per cent and 24 per cent saying they have a higher opinion of social care workers and early years workers respectively compared to three years ago. Additionally, 80 per cent of our workforce feel valued by the people they support.

We’ve led initiatives, such as the annual Accolades awards and the Caring in Welsh Award, to celebrate and share good practice across Wales. We also provide national leadership to influence policy and service provision, such as our work with the Social Care Work Forum. Our employer support service has held lots of events providing resources and support to employers, showing our commitment to valuing and recognising the workforce.

Recruitment and retention

We’ve made positive strides in attracting and recruiting people into the social care and early years sectors. Through our WeCare Wales campaigns, we’ve helped more people find employment in social care and early years thanks to the increased job postings on and visits to the WeCare Wales website. Our training programmes, such as Introduction to Social Care and Introduction to Early Years and Childcare, have successfully prepared many people for careers in the sectors.

We’ve worked hard, alongside national and local partners, to increase public confidence in the social care workforce. Seventy-three per cent of the public say they have confidence in care workers, and 86 per cent say they know what an acceptable standard of care is. We make sure the workforce is well-regulated and fit to practise, with more than 64,000 people now registered with us.

Where social care workers don’t meet the expectations of the code of professional practice, our fitness to practise framework allows us to take action so we can protect the public and uphold the integrity of the profession. We’ve also reviewed and updated the codes of professional practice for social care workers and employers. We did this by engaging with the sector to set clear and meaningful standards. These initiatives have helped build trust and assurance in the quality of care provided by the social care workforce.

Supporting the workforce's skills

We’ve made significant efforts to make sure the social care and early years workforce is well-qualified, knowledgeable and skilled. We’ve supported the development and implementation of qualifications and continuous professional development by running many engagement sessions and training events. Initiatives, such as the Essential Skills Wales resources and the National Occupational Standards review, have been well-received and provide positive support for the workforce.

We’ve also promoted and supported apprenticeships, which has contributed to a 31 per cent increase in apprenticeship certifications. Additionally, our Welsh language courses and safeguarding training resources have further enhanced the skills and knowledge of the workforce. Our communities of practice provide valuable learning and support, helping workers share ideas and improve their practice.

We’ve supported social care services in adopting strengths-based approaches, focusing on what matters to individuals and supporting them to achieve their personal goals and well-being. We’ve run leadership development programmes, including compassionate leadership sessions, and developed resources to promote positive workplace cultures.

We’ve made notable progress in using innovation, high-quality research and data to improve social care practice and policy. We launched the Ymlaen strategy to help create a culture where evidence and new ideas are central to social care. Our National Social Care Data Portal has been improved to provide better insights and data visualisation. We supported the DEEP programme to help frontline staff use research in their practice and launched the Insight Collective website to share research and training opportunities.

Our efforts to promote digital literacy and improve data maturity have helped local authorities make better use of their data. These initiatives have collectively contributed to a more informed, efficient and innovative social care sector.