Working in the Care Sector for Adults in Cornwall: Insights from the Workforce report
Staff shortages, long hours and emotional strain are issues – as is the rising complexity of care and a resulting lack of adequate workforce time, training and resources.
Reduced access to international recruitment and Cornwall’s geography, transport infrastructure and high housing costs all create additional challenges.
Feedback from 175 care workers, 25 providers and managers, Enter & View evidence, interviews, focus groups and engagement with system partners across Cornwall indicate:
- Stress at work: Stress appears to be a common feature of the work environment for many staff.
- Recruitment challenges: Many staff appear to remain in the sector despite significant pressures, motivated by commitment to the people they support.
- Workload pressures: The pressure of staff shortages, long hours, and emotional strain is creating a workforce operating at or beyond sustainable capacity.
- Care complexity: Rising care complexity is outpacing the workforce’s time, training, and resources, creating unsustainable pressure on staff.
“The greatest motivation is the job satisfaction that comes from knowing I am making a difference.”
“The day to day can run very smoothly and quality care can be delivered almost consistently”
“I anticipate being burned out in this role within the next 12 months”
CEO of Healthwatch Cornwall, Debbie Gilbert said:
“Whilst survey responses represent approximately 1.25% of Cornwall's adult social care workforce, we found a striking consistency of themes across surveys, focus groups, interviews and Enter & View observations.”
Healthwatch Cornwall’s recommendations to commissioners, sector partners and providers:
- Address the structural causes of workforce stress and burnout.
- Ensure workforce strategies reflect real cost pressures.
- Align workforce planning and training with increasing complexity of care needs.
- Demonstrate progress on the workforce pipeline commitments already made, with particular attention to younger workers.
- Strengthen communication channels to the frontline workforce on policy and system changes.
- Continue strengthening system coordination.
