Social Care Workforce

A sufficient, skilled and sustainable social care workforce is essential in providing high quality, person-centred care to vulnerable residents living in South West London. However, there are considerable challenges in achieving this with chronic problems in recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce to a sector characterised by low pay and low status, alongside intense competition from other sectors.

The number of vacancies in social care in South West London is already high and without concerted action will be further exacerbated as increasing demand for care services is estimated to create a further 10,000 jobs by 2035. 

SWL Social Care Workforce Strategy

The six South West London boroughs of Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth have collaborated with wider partners to develop a strategy covering the period 2022 – 2025 setting out how their joint action will support the development of a more sustainable social care workforce in South West London. The report developed by SCIE and Skills for Care can be found here.

Visit www.swlsocialcarehub.org.uk for more information on any of the workforce projects below.

Any queries contact sheryl.brand@southlondonpartnership.co.uk

Apprenticeships

As part of the wider South West London Apprenticeship Hub, until April 2025 South London Partnership lead a programme of work to coordinate and build the social care apprenticeship offer in South West London – working with employers, training providers, South London Careers Hub and other partners with the aim to increase availability, awareness, take up and quality of apprenticeships in the social care sector in SWL.

For further details contact The Social Care Hub at swlsocialcareacademyhub@southlondonpartnership.co.uk or visit Apprenticeships in Adult Social Care – Social Care Academy Hub

International Recruitment

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) provided funding to South West London as part of the Adult Social Care International Recruitment Fund 24/25. The 24/25 International Recruitment (IR) Programme is focused on supporting displaced international care workers into new employment with another care provider sponsor.

South West London is building on the partnership infrastructure and governance, developed in the first year of the programme (23/24), with the aim to create strategies for preventing and addressing exploitative employment practices, whilst also supporting the continuity of care provision.

The South London Partnership have developed a programme of support focussed on better international recruitment and management of international recruits working closely with partners and social care employers.

For further details contact International Recruitment internationalrecruitment@southlondonpartnership.co.uk or visit the website for information for displaced workers or information for Employers

For further information and details on the above workforce programmes visit the Social care Hub website – www.swlsocialcarehub.org.uk or contact the SWL Social Care Workforce Lead – sheryl.brand@southlondonpartnership.co.uk