June 26th 2026
Digital Care Hub welcomes the publication of Skills for Care’s latest workforce report, which provides an important snapshot of the adult social care workforce in England and the trends shaping its future.
The latest Size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report shows that the adult social care vacancy rate has fallen to 6.2% in 2025/26 — its lowest level since 2015/16. The workforce has continued to grow, with 22,000 more filled posts than the previous year.
These are encouraging signs, and they reflect the commitment and resilience of employers across the sector. But the report also makes clear that significant challenges remain. Vacancy rates are still much higher than across the wider economy, domestic workforce numbers are falling, and the sector is projected to need a further 410,000 posts by 2040 to meet the needs of an ageing population.
Data that supports better decisions
Skills for Care’s annual workforce analysis is a powerful example of data being used well. It is not data for data’s sake. It helps providers, commissioners, policy makers and sector leaders understand what is happening, compare trends over time and between places, and plan practical responses.
Good data can show where recruitment is improving, where retention remains difficult, where training may be needed, and where local or national action should be focused. It can help organisations benchmark their own experience against the wider sector, spot emerging risks, and make more informed decisions about workforce planning, investment and support.
Michelle Corrigan, Chief Executive Officer at Digital Care Hub, said: “This report is a welcome reminder of the value of high-quality data and analysis. Used well, data helps us move beyond assumptions and see what is really happening across social care. It supports better conversations, better planning and better decision making.
“We welcome Skills for Care’s continued leadership in this area and encourage care providers and partners to make full use of the insights available. The more complete and accurate the data, the stronger the shared picture we have of the sector — and the better placed we are to support change.”
Turning insight into action
The findings are based on data from the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS), which brings together information from more than 750,000 people across over 21,000 care-providing locations. That contribution from providers is what makes meaningful national and local workforce intelligence possible.
Digital Care Hub encourages adult social care providers to keep their workforce data up to date and to use available reports and visualisations to support local planning. Data will not solve workforce pressures on its own, but it can help the sector understand them more clearly, target support more effectively and make the case for the change that is needed.
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