The Intrinsic Link Between NHS and Health and Social Care Staffing Crises, and How Just R Can Help
A vicious cycle of staffing crises between health and adult social care systems mean that staff are struggling to operate effectively, and both social care and NHS services are massively impacted by the staffing shortages in the other. The “gridlock” in healthcare staffing is blocking patient flow, and therefore, patient safety is at risk. The impact is not only on the NHS but in social care too.
The Health and Social Care system is under immense pressure, which is having a knock on impact on the NHS system blocking the flow of patients from hospitals into the community. Independent Adult Social Care providers are not able to meet the current assessed needs which affects NHS plans to discharge each day, effectively disrupting patient flow and blocking vital beds. This is a situation which will only grow worse as we move further into winter.
A recent report warned that the turnover of staff in Gloucestershire has almost doubled to 14% since September 2020 in social care. This problem exacerbates the issues in the NHS, with almost daily news stories featuring people who should have been discharged but are not, because there is simply no place for them to go.
Care systems must invest in inspiring and engaging their communities to take their first steps into a career in healthcare via Adult Social Care, and there is so much hard work that must go into that since the pandemic. Reaching your communities using digital marketing campaigns is without doubt the most efficient and effective way to ensure your organisations and vacancies are ‘top of mind’ with consistent, familiar messaging and employer branding, ensuring your community know the key benefits to choosing a career in health.
With great focus on and visualisation of career pathways and progression, systems must do more to shout about the rewarding nature of a role in social care, and the many opportunities that arise from it – without the need for University and high cost education (a route we know is declining dramatically). Digital marketing is the most cost effective way of telling your story to inspire vast numbers of people.
The work we do here at Just R involves not only the attraction but perhaps even more importantly the inspiration and retention of healthcare workers. In a world where there are just too many opportunities to venture into with options of better paid, better balanced work, be it healthcare or other professions they are right now tempting to even the most dedicated care professional.
At Just R we work with healthcare organisations on digital marketing campaigns that communicate their bespoke employer brand and value proposition (the stuff that makes someone want to work with them over anyone else), active candidates as well as passive ones (those who might not have considered work there previously).
Our vision is not only to attract candidates for immediate needs, but to inspire the community to consider healthcare as the most attractive and rewarding career, along with the ways in which to get into the sector. With the cost of living taking an almighty hike, the applications to university courses dwindle. It is important that we create a buzz around the pathways into healthcare: adult social care is an incredible place to start for those who have not yet considered healthcare as an option, and are seeking a meaningful career in their community.
The landscape is challenging but the opportunity lies in adopting a more creative, effective, longer term strategy to reach passive candidates, make them aware of the positive aspects of working in care, engage and attract them towards a career in care and crucially make the application process as pain free as possible.
Looking at social care as a stepping stone into a career in health and care rather than ‘just a job’ will also entice many people in their communities to consider it as an option. There are so many ways that we can work to attract people to make their next move into healthcare employment. If your organisation is ready to take an innovative approach, to create a sustainable pipeline of people who really want a career Just R can help. We are committed to the delivery of tangible solutions to the health and social care recruitment crisis, which generate incredible results for both candidates and employers.
To summarise, here are our tips on attracting to vacancies in social care:
- Communicate the variety of social care opportunities available
- Engage your community and spread awareness of the opportunities to develop into a fulfilling career without having to go to university
- Reach generation Z to inspire them to take that leap into a career in healthcare – social care is the perfect first step onto that pathway
- Develop a strong and attractive employer value proposition and brand (we can help with that!)
- Go where your candidates are, reaching them through digital advertising through social media
- Consider a recruitment website (we can help with that too!) – a shop window for potential candidates to learn all about the opportunities available and the benefits of working in health and social care!
- Seek to collaborate across the system with pathways across health and social care, an established career development pathway from Social Care into the NHS with the support of NHS partners would be an incredible step forward! Consider the art of what is possible…
