The social care system needs reform. Education can help.
Author: Laura Smyth 07 May 2026 1 min read
With the right support and training, the social care workforce can have a huge impact on the public's health.
The social care workforce is vital to preventing ill health.
Whether it’s assisting with daily tasks, monitoring health needs or providing emotional support, the work they do enables people to live independently and have a good quality of life.
Social care is also one of our largest public services. Two million people requested support from local authorities in 2024/25, and 1.7 million people work in the sector – a comparable size workforce to the NHS.
the number of people who requested social care services in 2024/25
the number of people working in social care
of care services do a ‘good job’ of supporting people who use social care to live healthier lives
Despite its size and impact, the workforce faces serious challenges. A lack of support, inconsistent training and poor working conditions have led to high turnover and low retention. This also has a knock-on effect on the people using these services.
But with the right support and training, the social care workforce can improve health outcomes, reduce pressure on the NHS and boost the economy.
The current state of health in the UK
In the UK, we are living for longer but in poorer health. Disabilities among working age adults has increased from 15% to 23% between 2010/11 and 2022/23, and healthy life expectancy is at its lowest level since 2013.
With more people living with long-term health conditions and disabilities as they age, the demand for social care services is only increasing.
The social care system isn’t working for staff – or it’s users
Despite the benefit they provide, the system is falling short in supporting this crucial workforce.
Last year, we found that only 57% of care services do a ‘good job’ of supporting people who use social care to live healthier lives. Social care workers are struggling to manage the increasing needs of services users, leading to worsening health outcomes for users and stressful working conditions for staff – ultimately resulting in high turnover.
With more people living with long-term health conditions and disabilities as they age, the demand for social care services is only increasing.
We’re preventing hospital admissions, easing pressure on the NHS, and holding communities together. But we can’t keep doing all of that if we’re underpaid, overworked, undervalued, and rushed.
Focus group response from a paid carer
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Social care workers can have a positive impact on the health of the public – but they need help to do it.
This is where education and training come in.
Training can improve staff wellbeing and bridge the skills gap
We know that carers frequently identify the early signs of health problems at work but simply aren’t properly supported to intervene or make the right referrals, often resulting in health issues being left until they reach crisis point.
We also know that the workforce wants to receive better training to help solve this problem.
That’s why we made a commitment to advocate for social care staff and provide them with public health training. We also wanted to ensure that this training was affordable and accessible.
Our latest social care public health training package gives the social care workforce the skills they need to make a positive impact on the health of those they care for.
It teaches staff the basics of public health, allowing them to integrate preventative interventions into their everyday practice to help manage long-term conditions, improve health behaviours and reduce inequalities.
By supporting and training the workforce, we can ensure that social care is a resilient system that improves quality of life and provides equity for all.
Start learning today
Work in social care and want to make an impact on the health of the public? Take our social care training package.
Find out more
