Hiring Care Workers in the UK: The Challenges, the Hurdles, and the Hope

By Resolve Recruitment Services

In recent years, few sectors have faced as much pressure, or shown as much resilience, as the UK care industry.

With an ageing population, increasing demand for care services, and rising expectations around quality and compliance, the need for skilled, compassionate care workers has never been greater. At Resolve Recruitment Services, we’ve supported clients across the UK in navigating this complex landscape, and it’s clear that while there are real challenges, there are also inspiring solutions emerging.

Let’s take a closer look at what it really means to recruit care workers in the UK in today’s climate.

The Struggles: A Sector Under Pressure

Ongoing Staff Shortages

The care sector has faced chronic staffing shortages for years. and it’s getting worse. According to recent reports, there are over 150,000 unfilled roles across the UK care system.

A combination of factors has fuelled this:

• Brexit reduced the available overseas workforce

• The impact of COVID-19 pushed many experienced care workers to leave the sector

• High burnout and low pay continue to drive turnover

Visa and Sponsorship Complexities

While overseas recruitment remains vital to the UK care industry, many employers face red tape around visa sponsorship, compliance, and regulation. There’s a limited pool of employers who are licensed sponsors, and the process can be both time-consuming and costly.

The recent changes to UK immigration policy, including increased salary thresholds for sponsored workers, have added another layer of difficulty, especially for smaller care providers.

Perception of the Role

Despite being a deeply rewarding profession, care work is still often seen as “low-skilled” a label that does no justice to the demands of the role. Care workers are not only carers, but companions, listeners, and often lifelines for those they support.

This perception problem makes it harder to attract new talent, especially younger people, into the profession.

The Hurdles: Recruitment in a Regulated Environment

Rigorous Background Checks

While essential for safeguarding, the enhanced DBS checks, reference requirements, and detailed employment history demands can delay hiring timelines, sometimes frustratingly so, especially when care homes are in urgent need.

Lack of Career Pathways

Many candidates see care roles as stopgaps rather than long-term careers. Without clear progression routes or structured development, it becomes harder to retain good staff, and even harder to attract ambitious candidates.

Inconsistent Funding & Pay Structures

The difference in funding between public and private sector care providers leads to huge disparities in pay and resources. Often, candidates will move for slightly better rates or a more supportive work environment — which contributes to the ongoing churn and instability.

The Positives: What’s Working (and Why There’s Hope)

Despite the challenges, there are bright spots, and we see them every day in the work we do at Resolve.

Purpose-Driven Candidates

We continue to meet people who are drawn to care work for all the right reasons. compassion, service, and community. These individuals make an incredible impact, and with the right support and recognition, they can become long-term assets to any care team.

Apprenticeships & Training

More providers are now investing in structured training pathways and apprenticeship programmes, giving care workers real qualifications and progression routes, which helps with both recruitment and retention.

At Resolve, we often encourage clients to consider “hire for attitude, train for skill” approaches, bringing in individuals with the right mindset and offering them development on the job.

Technology Enhancements

From digital care planning tools to e-learning systems, tech is helping to lighten the load on care staff and make processes more efficient. This not only improves the working experience but also supports better outcomes for service users - a win-win.

Workforce Recognition and Campaigns

There’s a growing movement to reframe the way we talk about care workers. recognising them as skilled professionals and valuing their contribution to society. Campaigns from Skills for Care and other industry bodies are helping to shift public perception.

Our Role at Resolve Recruitment Services

At Resolve, we know that recruiting care staff is about more than filling roles, it’s about finding the right people, with the right values, to support some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

We work closely with:

• Private and public sector care providers

• Supported living and domiciliary care teams

• Local authorities and housing associations

  
  

Our approach combines speed, empathy, and compliance, because in care, all three matter equally.

We also support clients with:

• Visa-sponsored recruitment strategies

• DBS processing support

• Retention-focused talent planning

• Upskilling and career development pathways

  
  

Final Thoughts

The care sector is at a crossroads. The pressure is real, but so is the potential for transformation.

With the right recruitment strategy, investment in people, and a renewed focus on career-building, care work can be one of the most rewarding, respected professions in the UK.

At Resolve Recruitment Services, we’re proud to be part of that journey.

If you’re a care provider looking for support with recruitment, or a candidate passionate about making a difference - we’d love to talk.