Research shows that management style can have an impact on whether people choose to stay in their role.
Effective leadership and management creates a supportive, well organised environment where staff feel valued, listened to and able to grow. When teams experience consistent guidance, fair workload management and strong communication, their job satisfaction improves - and so does retention.
The 2025 Have Your Say survey found that while 73 per cent of social care employees feel supported by their managers, nine per cent of the workforce didn’t. Managerial support is strongly linked to well‑being and retention outcomes. Research from Cardiff University shows that good support can increase staff morale and reduce burnout, promoting long‑term retention.
Research by Skills for Care and the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) shows that creating positive and compassionate workplaces can help to improve well‑being and retention. By prioritising compassion and respect in the workplace, leaders can reduce stress levels and create environments where staff feel valued, leading to lower turnover (Figgett, 2017; Thompson et al., 2021).
This research also shows that managers can improve retention by prioritising checking in with their staff regularly and creating a culture of open communication. This helps staff to feel listened to and respected, which makes them more likely to want to stay.
Here are resources to help support your management and leadership.
Are there other areas of support or resources that you feel would help you to improve retention for the workforce? Let us know by e-mailing workforcestrategy@socialcare.wales.
