Care at Home: challenges, possibilities and implications for the workforce in Wales

Care at home is central to promoting the well-being of some of the most vulnerable members of our communities in Wales. Fundamental to the future of care at home is a high-quality social care workforce. With this in mind, in Autumn 2008 the Care Council for Wales commissioned an 18-month study to examine the care at home workforce — and what is needed to make it fit for the increasing demands of providing care at home in the future. The study was undertaken by researchers from the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, the University of Glamorgan, Insight Social Research and the Management Standards Consultancy, and resulted in a report ‘Care at home: challenges, possibilities and implications for the workforce in Wales’ published by the Care Council in May 2010. This paper describes the drivers for the study, the findings and recommendations, and the crucial next steps.