All-Party Group on Skills Calls for 'People-First' Approach to Strengthen Northern Ireland's Social Care Sector

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Kate Nicholl MLA, Chair of the All-Party Group (APG) on Skills at the Northern Ireland Assembly, has today launched a new report calling for urgent action to improve training, recognition, and conditions in the social care workforce. 

The investigation, supported by The Open University as Secretariat, ran from April 2024 to January 2025 and involved evidence sessions with health and social care practitioners, employers, regulators, training providers and officials from the Departments of Health and the Economy. 

Social care was chosen as the APG’s first area of focus due to its essential role in supporting communities, enabling economic participation, and easing pressure on the wider health system. The report, A People-First Approach to Skills for Social Care, outlines a series of recommendations to support and grow this vital workforce. 

Key findings include: 

  • The adult social care sector supports an estimated 46,500 full-time equivalent jobs in Northern Ireland and generates £1.5 billion in economic value. 
  • Every £1 spent on adult social care delivers £2.82 in socio-economic benefits. 
  • There are over 40,600 registered social care practitioners in Northern Ireland, 84% of whom are women, working across 488 organisations. 
  • Chronic issues persist around pay, working conditions, access to training, and public recognition of the workforce's skill and contribution. 

The report highlights the increasing demand for skilled care due to an ageing population and rising mental health needs, with a particular focus on the need for dementia-specific training. Currently, nearly 25,000 people are living with dementia in Northern Ireland, but only 14,608 have a formal diagnosis.  

Among the report’s recommendations are: 

  • Leading workforce planning to mandate service- and role-relevant training (e.g. dementia training), and sustainable service delivery. 
  • Embedding fair employment practices, by ensuring secure contracts, clear career pathways, and training access. Reforming commissioning frameworks to cover training costs and backfill support. 
  • Recognising the strategic role of social care through improved terms, secure contracts, and public awareness campaigns. 
  • Cross-departmental collaboration to promote social care as a skilled and valued profession. 

Kate Nicholl MLA stated: 

“Social care underpins the wellbeing of individuals and communities across Northern Ireland. This report sends a clear message: valuing and investing in our social care workforce is not only a matter of fairness but essential to building a healthier, more economically resilient society.” 

John D’Arcy, Director, The Open University in Ireland stated that: 

“This report shines a spotlight on the urgent challenges facing the social care sector. The Open University is proud to support the All-Party-Group in advocating a people-first approach that prioritises training, recognition and fair employment for this essential workforce.” 

The All-Party Group on Skills will next turn its attention to the growing demand for green skills, exploring how Northern Ireland can equip its workforce to meet the challenges and opportunities of the transition to a low-carbon economy. Further details on this upcoming investigation will be announced in the autumn. 
 

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