We are working with Skills for Care to support the uptake of DHSC’s 2026 adult social care workforce survey, which was launched 9 September 2026 and will run for around six weeks.
The Adult Social Care Workforce Survey was designed to collect information from people working in adult social care about different aspects of their employment, work-related quality of life and wellbeing. The insights and evidence will be vital in supporting policy development to deliver the government’s ambitions to support the adult social care workforce. These include implementing and evaluating the first fair pay agreement (FPA) for adult social care, enhancing skills and building towards a national care service.
This survey is the largest worker-level data collection in the sector in England. The third wave of the survey will be seeking 7,000 responses from people working in adult social care including those working in residential care and home care, people who care for working-age adults with disabilities and those who care for older people, as well as staff who are self-employed, or work on a zero-hours contract or through an agency.
Anyone who works in a care-related role in adult social care in England can take the survey including, but not limited to:
- Care workers
- Personal assistants
- Managers
- Nurses
- Social workers
Questions cover demographics and role, work-related quality of life, wellbeing, learning and development, violence, harassment, abuse and bullying, intention to leave, employment terms and conditions, and awareness of upcoming reforms.
“Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Social Care, said: “Care workers have been ignored for years. They are a workforce equal in size to the NHS but remaining among the lowest paid and unacceptably underappreciated.
“Care is far from low skilled. It takes patience, keen observation and emotional intelligence. As well as stamina and determination.
“This survey will provide a crucial insight and shed a light on their working lives and experiences and identifying the issues that we have a responsibility to address.
“A strong National Care Service will be underpinned by its workforce. We’re committed to going further and faster on social care reform through improved progression and development, building on our landmark Fair Pay Agreement and work to professionalise caring.”
Promotional toolkit
To help encourage respondents, communications toolkit has been created. Access the toolkit here.
It includes:
- Support briefing
- Suggested newsletter copy
- Suggested social media posts
- Social media images
- Social media badge
- Endorsement videos and quotes, including endorsements from our members
- Poster with QR code
- Email banner
- Email signature
- PowerPoint slides
- Graphics, and instructions on how to use the graphics
Why your feedback is necessary
Every response helps strengthen the evidence. The more people who take part, the stronger the case for future improvements. Here’s what some of our members say.
Previous surveys
The most recent wave of the survey, conducted in 2025, found that half of carers rated their overall life satisfaction as high or very high. Two thirds agreed that they have opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills.
However, the findings raised concerns about low pay and financial security: 56% of respondents said they have no or not enough financial security, 69% thought the cost of living was too high, and 49% thought their hourly rate of pay was too low. Summary, methodology, data tables and other reports published July 2026 here)
The first survey undertaken in 2023 attracted 7233 responses. Summary, methodology, data tables and other reports published Feb 2025 here)
