Recruiting More Men into Social Care
Project Background
There is a greater proportion of women in care roles compared to men. IMPACT worked with Paradise Independent Living in North London to explore ways to recruit more men.
The project sought to identify barriers to recruiting men in the social care workforce and to understand what may help. To put this into context, Skills for Care reported in 2023 that only 19% of the workforce are men despite 152,000 vacant posts reported.
Engagement and findings
The project started with an evidence review – a look at the research which emphasised the multi-level change required across sectors in addition to a cultural shift – followed by conversations with men who work in social care, and those who don’t, and many others including individuals using services.
What did the original evidence review tell us?
There are multiple benefits to recruiting men into care including:
- unique perspectives and qualities
- ability to respond to client preference
Men work in care to:
- make a difference
- build on skills gained supporting friends or family
Some men would not consider working in care due to:
- gender stereotypes and the association of caregiving with femininity
- lack of male role models in the care sector
- stigma and suspicion
- perceived low pay and lack of opportunities to progress.
What did we learn from talking to people?
Findings are presented around the following five themes: people and relationships, personal satisfaction, work conditions and prospects, the role of gender, and misconceptions or stereotypes.
People and relationships: Most men entered social care through personal recommendations or prior experience. Positive aspects included strong connections, a friendly work environment, and personal growth. However, challenges included isolation, overwork, and difficulty getting to know service users.
Personal satisfaction: Men reported increased confidence, self-esteem, and the ability to be themselves. They appreciated the variety and positive impact of their work but also acknowledged emotional challenges and undervaluation.
Work conditions and prospects: Social care was seen as an accessible career option, especially for international workers. Positive aspects included flexibility and opportunities to learn. However, challenges included low pay, shift work, and limited career progression.
The role of gender: While some service users appreciated male carers, gender preferences varied. Men in the sector faced challenges related to being in the minority and potential safeguarding concerns.
Misconceptions and stereotypes: The sector faced negative perceptions both internally and externally, including the idea that it is “women’s work” and undervalued.
Project actions
The host was based in East London, is a family run supported living provider that offers a service to men with acquired brain injury – you can find a pre-project interview with the host at the bottom of this page. After completing the project, we were able to report back to the host our findings and share with them IMPACT tips to recruiting and retaining men within their organisation.
What have been the highlights of this project?
Marlene told us her highlight was spending a day engaging in conversations with 18-year-old young men at a sixth form college. It proved to be an invaluable experience for the her in terms of gaining insight into their views of the social care sector. These interactions have not only enriched the project work but prompted development of the IMPACT myth busting tool.
Resources
To address common misconceptions, we have developed a myth-busting tool that can be shared with individuals outside the sector, particularly young people.
Additionally, we have created a tool to support organisations in recruiting and retaining men within the sector. You will find links to all these resources in the description.
Find out more about the project with the summary report:
Project Host Organisation
This project was based at Paradise Independent Living in North London. They have provided services for over 24 years and offer specialised support to people with brain injuries. Their main focus is to ensure people maximise their independence and improve their quality of life. They believe going through such a traumatic life-changing event as they have, means their work is invaluable at ensuring people and their families can start their journey of healing emotionally, physically, and mentally. They want to be part of that healing process and help in any way they can.
Paradise Independent Living shared their thoughts on the project below:
Why did you want to be involved with IMPACT?
We thought it would be interesting as an organisation to get further insight into how we can help encourage more men into social care. Our client group is men and we often struggle to recruit male staff. As an organisation we are always looking for ways to improve.
What are your hopes for project?
I hope it will give us some insight into how we can make a difference as an organisation ultimately improving outcomes and the support and care we provide, and of course an understanding of what prevents or may encourage men to enter a social care profession.
What potential challenges have you envisaged?
Time. There are so many demands on our time. We also work with people who health is changing as they are aging and being responsive to that means sometimes our lovely plans go out the window. So giving the appropriate time and attention may be difficult.
Why do you think a centre like IMPACT is important?
IMPACT focuses on improvement based on evidence. This means for many people there can be an improvement in the quality of care they get. This will then impact their life, and there is nothing more rewarding than knowing what you are doing could be life changing for someone and maybe help them achieve things they never thought were possible.