Right at Home execs champion social care workforce at Future of Homecare Conference

CEO Lucy Campbell and Director of People and Brand, Heather Wehrle, spoke passionately about the challenges the social care workforce faces, and the recognition it deserves

Right at Home was proud to shine a spotlight on the social care workforce at the annual Future of Homecare Conference, which took place in London on January 24.

CEO Lucy Campbell, and Heather Wehrle, Director of People and Brand, joined leading representatives from across the health and social care sector to share best practice, inspire innovation and provide thought leadership.

Hosted by the Homecare Association, which represents over 2,000 homecare providers, the conference featured several panel sessions, and both Lucy and Heather took to the stage to champion social care professionals and the highly valuable and skilled service they provide every day.

Lucy, who is Vice-Chair of the Homecare Association, led a discussion on developing a comprehensive workforce strategy for social care.

She was joined by a panel of experts from the NHS, Skills for Care, Kings College London and the Department of Health and Social Care, each sharing their perspectives on the future needs of the 1.5 million people working in the sector.

Reflecting on the conference session, Lucy said: “We have a ‘leaky bucket’ in social care, with too many good people with the right values and skills falling through the holes.

“The panel and I agreed that there is an urgent need to start building a workforce for the future, with opportunities for multi-disciplinary working and career progression, if we are to fill the estimated 440,000 extra roles that will be needed by 2035.”

She added: “What I found so amazing about this event is how it encouraged collaboration among all delegates. From company directors and Registered Managers to CareGivers and technology partners, everyone spoke passionately about working towards a common goal – to drive positive change in our wonderful sector.”

Later in the day, Heather explained Right at Home’s approach to upskilling and retaining social care professionals during a dedicated workshop on the topic.

She shared her knowledge on professionalising the care sector, creating attractive career pathways, and gaining positive recognition for the workforce from politicians and the public.

Commenting on the Future of Homecare Conference, Heather said: “As always, it was so inspiring to be around so many like-minded people who are incredibly passionate about care professionals and the future of the social care sector. Everybody who attended spoke eagerly about getting the recognition our sector absolutely deserves.

“The highlight of the conference, for me, was sitting next to Amanda Morgan, a support worker from Wales. Amanda has been working in the sector for 20 years and her story about how she reunited a man and his daughter during the final six weeks of his life was just so inspiring. She is a real reminder of why we do what we do and highlights the critical value care professionals bring to the healthcare system.”