Care workers invited to share experiences

Adult social care workers across England are being invited to share their experiences in a workforce survey.

This will be the third wave of the adult social care workforce survey and it will be targeting 7,000 responses from people working in adult social care including those in residential care and homecare, people who care for working-age adults with disabilities and those who care for older people, as well as staff who are self-employed, or work on a zero-hours contract or through an agency.

It is seeking input from anyone who works in a care-related role, including but not limited to care workers, personal assistants, managers, nurses, and social workers.

Questions will cover demographics and role, work-related quality of life, wellbeing, learning and development, violence, harassment, abuse and bullying, intention to leave, employment terms and conditions, and awareness of upcoming reforms.

The survey was first commissioned by Department of Health and Social Care in 2022 to Ipsos in collaboration with Skills for Care and the University of Kent. Wave 1 ran in 2023 and received over 7,000 responses. Wave 2 ran in 2025 and received over 3,000 responses.

The 2025 survey found that half of carers rated their overall life satisfaction as high or very high. Two thirds agreed they have opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills. However, the findings raised concerns about low pay and financial security.

The government has said it is committed to building a national care service and Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to reform the social care workforce, building on the fair pay agreement.

Alison McGovern minister of state for social care, said: ‘This survey will provide a crucial insight and shed a light on their working lives and experiences and identifying the issues that we have a responsibility to address.

‘A strong national care service will be underpinned by its workforce. We’re committed to going further and faster on social care reform through improved progression and development, building on our landmark fair pay agreement and work to professionalise caring.’

Oonagh Smyth, Skills for Care chief executive officer, added: ‘As the government looks at how to strengthen the workforce through improvements to pay, training and support, it’s essential that the experiences of people working in adult social care are part of the conversation.

‘This survey gives everyone working in social care the opportunity to tell it how it is. Whether someone feels positive about their role, is facing challenges, or a mixture of both, every experience helps build a clearer picture of what’s working well and where further action is needed.’

The survey can be completed online by clicking here.