There has been a ‘boom’ in the number of personal assistants working in the adult social care sector. According to Skills for Care report, the number of personal assistants working in adult social care has increased by 35% (equating to about 92,000 posts) between 2009 and 2010.
This report also states that personal assistants now account for one fifth of jobs in the adult social care market. Caroline Bernard, the Policy manager at National Skills Academy for Social Care attributed this rise to “personalisation and more individuals developing their own care packages”.
Martin Green, the chief executive of the English Community Care Association expressed his concern regarding the growth stating that although it is a positive thing, it relates to “…a growth in the market that, unlike registered providers, is not regulated or quality assured.”
A significant decrease was seen in local authority social care jobs which saw a reduction in approximately 3000 posts.
