Log my Care鈥檚 new research reveals the sentiment in the social care sector and technology鈥檚 place in its future.
Is The Social Care Sector In Crisis?
has revealed the results of new research 鈥� The future of care: an analysis of job satisfaction and technology in social care. Prompted by the reports of a sector in crisis,聽Log聽my Care聽disseminated聽a survey to聽better understand the sentiment of the social care workforce,聽if an exodus of care workers leaving the sector聽is聽on the horizon and how technology can support them to stay.
The survey identified a workforce that was predominantly happy in their role. Reflecting these high levels of happiness in their jobs, only a small minority of respondents said they wanted to leave the care sector:
- Respondents had an average happiness ranking of 7.9 in which 1 was 鈥榲ery unhappy鈥� and 10 鈥榲ery happy鈥�.
- Those in senior management roles appeared to be more satisfied (8.9) compared to those in frontline roles (8.2) or management positions (7.7).
- Only 4% of respondents said they wanted to leave the care sector.
Why Do Social Care Employees Do What They Do?
Findings from the survey also revealed a workforce that is drawn to the sector for altruistic reasons:
- 81% of聽respondents said聽that 鈥榩urpose鈥� was 鈥榲ery important鈥� to them in their role, the most popular response from a predefined list.
- 鈥楰nowing that the job was done well鈥� was the most popular type of reward for respondents (56% selected this as their first choice) compared to a quarter (24%) selecting 鈥榤oney鈥�.
- 83% of respondents reported that 鈥榩assion for caring for others鈥� attracted them to the care sector, while more than three-quarters (77%) selected 鈥榤aking a difference鈥� as a reason.
- Factors connected to their own benefits were less important. With 鈥榩ersonal development’ (61%) and 鈥榗areer development鈥� (45%) bringing up the rear.
However, the stressors of the pandemic have exacerbated some of the unpleasant factors associated with working in social care:
- Just under half (45%) of respondents reported that the 鈥榳orkload鈥� was the factor they disliked most about their role.
- 37% disliked their 鈥榳ork-life balance鈥� and 14% were unhappy with their 鈥榣evel of responsibility鈥�.
The Future of Social Care is Digital
When asked how digital they felt their workplace was already:
- The majority (59%) said their workplace was a beginner when it came to digital with a long way to go.聽
- One-third of all respondents felt they were ‘digital experts’ (33%), using digital solutions in most aspects of their work, and only 9% identified as complete novices.聽
There鈥檚 a positive sentiment towards the聽digitalisation聽of social care:
- Two-thirds of respondents (67%) said they were ‘super excited’ about the increasing digitalisation of the sector.聽聽
- Three-quarters of respondents (76%) felt that the care industry needs to become more digital.聽
Sam Hussain, Founder and CEO of Log my Care, comments, 鈥淭he reports of the care sector in crisis聽are聽at odds with the incredible dedication and optimism voiced by many of our customers in our daily conversations. We wanted to dig a little deeper with this research 鈥� to understand the sentiment in the sector, why so many people were leaving it and what place technology has in supporting them to stay.聽Although we were surveying an industry clearly in crisis, the passion and commitment of the people working in it is a light in the dark. We know it鈥檚 time for a change 鈥� with low pay, long hours and a lack of employee development coming up time and time again as the reasons our care staff are leaving. Technology can play a vital role in this change and by encouraging even the smallest care provider to go digital, we can begin to combat some of the problems highlighted by this survey.鈥�
