DESPITE millions spent on a government campaign in recent years, social care recruitment efforts have been branded largely ineffective, with vacancies hitting a record high.

There were 165,000 vacancies in the sector in 2021-22, when almost £6.5 million was budgeted for the adult social care recruitment campaign, according to figures retrieved by Care England, the country’s leading representative body for care providers.

Previous analysis by the King’s Fund health charity stated that, at 10.7 per cent, the vacancy rate in adult social care is the highest it has been since data began in 2012-13.

A total of £23.65m has been budgeted for the campaign since 2018, including a projection for the 2022-23 year, the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) said in response to a Freedom of Information request from Care England.

Chief executive Professor Martin Green said money spent on ineffectual campaigns would have been better allocated to bring care staff benefits in line with NHS staff.

He said “The social care recruitment crisis will only be solved when care staff benefits, terms and conditions are brought into parity with those of the NHS — including pensions, statutory sick pay, holiday entitlements, and access to training. This will begin to redress the underpayment and underappreciation of care workers compared to their NHS counterparts.”

“The recruitment campaigns represent an awareness campaign that is unlikely to result in a tangible change to the number of recruits entering the sector.”

The figures come as the government announced its volunteer programme was being expanded from the NHS into social care, with those who sign up picking up and dropping off medicines for people, and collecting and delivering food shopping and prescriptions.

The department said volunteers are crucial in supporting the health and care sector and complementing the existing workforce but insisted they “do not replace the existing highly valued paid health and care staff.”

The government was criticised for announcing earlier this year that social care workforce funding would be halved from a previously pledged £500m. The move was branded a betrayal by charities, unions and opposition parties, with ministers accused of broken promises.

The government has insisted no funding for the adult social care sector has been removed or reallocated to the NHS and that up to £600m will be targeted on measures that will have the most impact over the next two years.