England’s adult social care workforce is becoming more stable, according to Skills for Care’s annual report, published on 14 October 2026. Estimated vacancies fell to 96,000 in 2025/26, while filled posts grew by 1.4% to 1.59 million. That is progress, but not a staffing problem solved.
These are annual estimates, not a live count of October’s vacancies. The report’s message is mixed: vacancies and turnover have fallen, but workforce growth is slowing. For a busy care manager, the practical question is whether today’s team can stay, develop and meet tomorrow’s needs.
The retention analysis is particularly useful. Among independent-sector care workers, turnover between March 2025 and March 2026 was 15.3% for those with five positive employment factors, compared with 34.3% for those with none. Those factors were pay at least equal to the local authority area’s average, guaranteed hours, full-time work, training and a qualification relevant to social care.
That comparison shows an association, not proof that introducing the five factors will produce the same result in every service. Nor is full-time work the right answer for everyone. The lesson is to examine the whole employment offer, rather than expecting a training course or pay rise alone to fix retention.
Our recommendation: review recent leavers alongside the staff who stayed. Ask about induction, supervision, reliable hours, development and whether concerns were acted on. Look separately at people leaving during their first three months. For staffing agencies, compare assignment continuity and workers’ preferred hours with what they actually receive; flexibility should be a genuine choice, not a permanent guessing game.
Choose one practical improvement, give it an owner and check the results over the next three months. Use the report to challenge assumptions, not to promise a particular turnover rate. A reassuring graph does not cover an empty shift.