Broken social care system 'needs 500,000 extra workers'

OUR broken social care system needs fundamental reform and at least 500,000 extra workers, experts say.

- Giles Sheldrick

The sobering assessment, based on projections of a rapidly growing older population, comes as data shows job vacancies in the sector remain around three times the national average.

Skills For Care, the planning body for adult social care in England, called on the Government to bolster numbers and improve pay, terms and conditions for workers.

Poor pay has long been cited as one of the main reasons it is difficult to recruit and retain. Labour promised to "consult widely" on the design of a fair pay agreement "before beginning the process".

The ambition is for care workers to be paid at least the real living wage - £12 per hour, £13.15 or in London - but no specific figures were mentioned in the party's manifesto.