A changing society means changes for care home staffing

The population make-up of the UK is changing. As a society we are living longer, but not necessarily in the best of health as we age. Research from Imperial College London and the World Health Organization, whom analysed lifespans in 35 industrialised countries, show that life expectancy will break 90 years by 2030.

Right now there are 14,450 centenarians, of which more than 750 are aged over 105. This is a 72 per cent increase compared to the last decade. What results is a greater dependence and reliance on the care industry to look after the elderly as the number of aged outstrips the ability of society to care for them in traditional ways.

As a consequence, residential and non-residential care home demand is due to grow significantly over the next 25 years with expected total demand exceeding 2 million compared to 1.1 million in 2011: A 75 per cent increase in 30 years.

It is highly skilled workers that society needs to offer care services in this environment. It is an environment that often finds staff retention to be a challenge. Given the scale of the task ahead of the UK, and the scale of the opportunity for the sector, it is essential that care home providers start to plan for growth before the changing demographics of society catch the industry unprepared. A strategic roadmap for employment on-boarding is required.

Tough challenges require strong staff

Vetting and accreditation of new care home workers is going to become a key battleground. Getting the right workforce in place and then retaining them in the face of the challenges that the roles entail, and the inducements of rivals will become even more important for the well-being of a larger cared-for resident population but also support for the care home organisation’s stable growth.

Getting this right results in a strong brand reputation based on excellent service, happy, fulfilled staff, and well-cared for residents. Getting it wrong can result in non-compliance, penalties (or even closure) and of course, unhappy residents and their loved ones.

Employee vetting and background checking is increasingly named as one of the core components of organisations across all sectors, Experian has found. It’s even more apparent in the care sector where people’s physical and psychological needs are the core component of the service. The consequences of an unqualified member of staff might be dire. Basic checks, such as ensuring new and current staff have the right to work in the UK, no disqualifying criminal background, and legitimate qualifications are some of the measures that need to be taken. They also need to be taken fast to ensure business decisions can be made with agility in fast-moving times.

Compliance is, of course, the primary reason why employers conduct background checks. Where a role involves personal care and an enhanced level check, the business must register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for each of the regulated activities undertaken. CQC inspections are routine and as part of their inspection process, the CQC ensures that the organisation complies with all regulations. As part of this process they can request evidence that a suitable disclosure was obtained when an employee was appointed to a role, and prior to being allowed to work unsupervised with children and/or vulnerable adults.

Costing time, managing the process

Recent research discovered that a little under half of employers have reduced the length of the hiring process, because they want to hire faster. However, they still must hire the right people and then retain that talent. The types of screening and the process and candidate journey when recruiting significantly affects these results. A separate survey found that HR directors average a whole month (27.59 days) recruiting before they find the right employee.

It’s easy to understand why time and money tend to be the biggest barriers for performing administrative tasks like background checks. They can’t be skimped on though. With a changing labour market, the competition for roles will only become fiercer and getting the right processes in place which protect residents, existing employees, the company, and at the same time provide return on investment, is crucial.

According to The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the average recruitment cost of filling a vacancy is £4,000, increasing to £6,125 when the associated staff turnover costs are included. This is a significant investment on an individual who may be, until vetted, potentially much more trouble than they are worth, if the worst comes to pass.

Some organisations are moving towards a complete end-to-end solution whereby the candidate, upon acceptance, is managed through to contract and throughout their employment. This takes the burden away and ensures the business remains compliant, has quality assured employees, and maintains a process specifically tailored to its needs and ends up being more cost effective and efficient. For some, simple integration of data and checks outsourced can add incremental value – as can access to online tools that process required information.

So, with more and more parents, elderly and dependants poised to need more care in the future, the well-prepared care home needs to have a long term strategy in place. It needs to quality assure, comply and ensure that the right candidates come through and remain in the industry to make a big impact in shaping the organisation of the future. There is a prosperous future ahead for the care industry, but only those organisations that properly plan and execute to ride the long-term trends will see the maximum return on this future.

Author: Izabella Jagiello, Head of Background Checking at Experian