Report says Suffolk care vacancies have increased by 50%

The council said the main issues with recruitment and retention were pay and lack of career progression

The number of adult social care vacancies in Suffolk has increased by 50%, a report said.

The county council is due to discuss recruitment and retention of care workers at a meeting on Thursday.

A report said the number of vacancies increased from 1,600 in 2021 to 2,400 in 2022.

The authority said across the county there were approximately 500 independent care providers, employing 20,500 staff.

The report will be discussed by Suffolk County Council's scrutiny committee on Thursday

The council report said the main issues affecting recruitment and retention were uncompetitive staff pay, cost of living pressures, increased fuel prices, lack of career progression for front-line staff and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

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The report said the council was looking at financial investment, new ways to deliver care and workforce development to help the sector, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In order to help increase care provision in areas with added pressure, the council offers payments for care providers in rural areas and has a pilot scheme where it commissions 14-hour blocks with a provider to source care in areas that are hard to reach.