Adult Social Care Workforce Report 2026: Why Staff Training, Leadership and Retention Matter for CQC Ratings

The quality of adult social care depends not only on regulatory compliance, policies and procedures, but also on the competence, stability and effectiveness of the workforce delivering care.

The publication of The State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England 2026 by Skills for Care on 14 October 2026 provides important evidence about the relationship between workforce development, staff retention, management experience and Care Quality Commission (CQC) assessment ratings.

The findings raise important questions for registered managers, care providers and organisational leaders.

Are organisations investing sufficiently in workforce development? Are training programmes contributing to staff competence and retention? How effectively are managers connecting workforce development with quality improvement?

At GRREM Education Services & Management Consultancy Ltd, we examine the implications of these findings and identify practical considerations for adult social care leaders.

Skills for Care's 2026 report provides updated workforce intelligence for England, using data from 2025/26.

The report examines recruitment, retention, workforce demographics, qualifications, training, management experience and factors associated with CQC assessment outcomes.

Four findings are particularly relevant to adult social care providers.

Finding 1: Staff training is associated with lower turnover

Skills for Care identified a significant difference in turnover rates between care workers with training recorded and those without recorded training.

Care workers with training recorded: 23.0% turnover

Care workers without training recorded: 31.5% turnover

This represents an 8.5 percentage-point difference.

The report also found that workers with more recorded instances of training generally experienced lower turnover.

These findings suggest that opportunities for learning and professional development may contribute to improved workforce stability.

However, the data demonstrates an association rather than proving that training alone causes employees to remain in their roles. A lack of recorded training does not necessarily mean that no training occurred.

Finding 2: Training is associated with stronger CQC assessment outcomes

Skills for Care compared workforce information with CQC assessment ratings across approximately 7,100 regulated adult social care establishments.

The analysis found that establishments with the highest CQC scores had training recorded for 85% of care workers, compared with 82% among establishments with the lowest scores.

Although the difference is relatively modest, it supports the wider importance of workforce development as one component of service quality.

The findings should not be interpreted as suggesting that completing additional courses automatically produces better CQC ratings.

Care quality depends on several interconnected factors, including effective leadership, staffing levels, governance, organisational culture and the practical application of staff knowledge.

Finding 3: Experienced registered managers are associated with better CQC ratings

The report identified a relationship between registered-manager experience and CQC assessment outcomes.

Establishments with the highest CQC scores had registered managers averaging 9.9 years of experience in their roles.

This finding highlights the potential importance of leadership continuity, professional experience and management stability.

Experienced managers may develop stronger knowledge of regulatory expectations, workforce challenges, organisational risks and quality improvement processes.

However, experience alone does not guarantee effective leadership.

Newly appointed managers also require structured induction, professional development, mentoring and organisational support.

Finding 4: Workforce recruitment and retention remain significant challenges

Skills for Care estimated approximately 96,000 vacant adult social care posts in England during 2025/26.

Workforce shortages can create operational pressures for providers, particularly where organisations experience repeated recruitment difficulties or high staff turnover.

These pressures may affect staffing continuity, supervision arrangements, employee wellbeing and the consistent delivery of person-centred care.

The report reinforces the importance of developing workforce strategies that address not only recruitment but also the factors influencing whether employees remain within an organisation.

The findings demonstrate that workforce development should be considered an essential component of organisational management rather than an isolated training activity.

For registered managers, this means reviewing how training, supervision, professional development and staff retention contribute to service performance.

A completed training certificate provides evidence of participation or achievement, depending on the assessment involved.

However, it does not automatically demonstrate that an employee can consistently apply the knowledge and skills required to deliver safe care.

Providers should therefore consider how training effectiveness is evaluated in everyday practice.

This may involve competency observations, reflective supervision, practical assessments, scenario-based discussions and feedback from people receiving care.

Managers should also consider how workforce development contributes to employee confidence, professional progression and organisational stability.

The findings are particularly relevant to Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Regulation 18 requires registered providers to deploy sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff.

It also requires employees to receive appropriate support, training, professional development, supervision and appraisal necessary to perform their duties.

The regulation therefore places responsibilities on providers that extend beyond maintaining a training matrix.

Managers must ensure that employees possess and maintain the competence required for their roles.

This is particularly important in areas such as safeguarding, medicines management, infection prevention and control, person-centred care and the Mental Capacity Act.

The Skills for Care findings provide further evidence supporting the value of effective workforce development.

Importantly, the 2026 report does not introduce new statutory training requirements or change CQC's regulatory framework.

Instead, it provides evidence that can help providers strengthen their approach to meeting existing responsibilities.

Leadership plays a central role in establishing organisational expectations, supporting staff and maintaining care quality.

Registered managers are responsible for translating regulatory requirements into operational practice.

This includes ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities, receive appropriate supervision and have opportunities to develop professionally.

Effective leadership also involves recognising emerging risks, addressing poor performance and promoting an organisational culture where concerns can be raised and acted upon.

The relationship identified between registered-manager experience and CQC ratings reinforces the importance of investing in management development.

Providers should consider how they support both established and aspiring managers through structured learning, mentoring, reflective practice and leadership development.

A stable management team can support continuity, but stability must be accompanied by accountability, competence and continuous improvement.

The following recommendations provide a practical starting point for organisational review.

1. Review training effectiveness

Examine whether existing training programmes address the knowledge and competence required for each employee's role.

Consider how learning is assessed and whether staff can demonstrate the application of their training in practice.

2. Strengthen induction and supervision

Ensure newly appointed employees receive appropriate induction and ongoing support.

Use supervision to identify learning needs, discuss practice challenges and reinforce professional expectations.

3. Evaluate workforce retention

Review employee turnover patterns and identify potential contributing factors.

Consider whether limited professional development, inadequate supervision, working conditions or management practices may be influencing staff decisions to leave.

4. Invest in leadership development

Provide registered managers, deputy managers and aspiring leaders with opportunities to strengthen their management knowledge and professional competence.

Encourage reflective leadership, mentoring and continuous professional development.

5. Strengthen workforce governance

Include workforce indicators within organisational quality assurance arrangements.

Relevant indicators may include training completion, competency assessment, staff turnover, vacancies, supervision compliance and professional development.

6. Connect training with service improvement

Evaluate whether staff development contributes to improvements in care delivery.

For example, safeguarding training should strengthen employees' ability to recognise concerns, respond appropriately, record information accurately and follow reporting procedures.

The effectiveness of training should be considered through its contribution to safe and person-centred practice.

7. Develop a continuous learning culture

Encourage employees to view professional development as an ongoing responsibility rather than an occasional requirement.

Recognise learning achievements, support career progression and involve employees in identifying opportunities for service improvement.

The Skills for Care 2026 report reinforces an important principle for adult social care leadership:

Workforce development is not simply about completing training. It is about developing competent employees, supporting effective leadership and creating organisational conditions that promote safe, high-quality care.

Training, retention and management effectiveness should not be considered independently.

A well-supported workforce is better positioned to develop professional confidence, maintain continuity and contribute to organisational improvement.

For registered managers, the challenge is to demonstrate how workforce investment translates into effective practice and positive outcomes for people receiving care.

At GRREM Education Services & Management Consultancy Ltd, we advocate a practical approach to professional development that connects learning, reflective practice, management accountability and continuous improvement.

The publication of the 2026 Skills for Care Workforce Report provides valuable evidence for adult social care providers and managers.

Its findings highlight important relationships between staff training, workforce retention, registered-manager experience and CQC assessment outcomes.

Although these relationships do not establish direct causation, they provide compelling reasons for organisations to examine how effectively they support their workforce.

Providers should consider whether their current workforce strategies promote competence, professional development, management stability and quality improvement.

Ultimately, maintaining high standards of adult social care requires more than meeting minimum training requirements.

It requires leadership commitment, effective workforce planning and a culture in which learning contributes to consistently safe, compassionate and person-centred care.

GRREM Education Services & Management Consultancy Ltd

GRREM supports adult social care organisations, managers and professionals through practical training, leadership development and professional education.

Our areas of focus include:

• Safeguarding Adults Training
• Leadership and Management Development
• Workforce Training and Professional Development
• Quality Improvement and Regulatory Awareness
• Apprenticeship and End-Point Assessment Preparation

We aim to help organisations strengthen professional competence, management effectiveness and workforce development.

Explore our training programmes or contact us to discuss your organisation's professional development needs.

Website: www.grremeducation.co.uk

Email: info@grremeducation.co.uk

1. Skills for Care (2026)

The State of the Adult Social Care Sector and Workforce in England 2026.

Published: 14 October 2026.

Relevant sections:

Chapter 6: Qualifications and Training.

Chapter 9: Factors Affecting Turnover and CQC Assessment Ratings.

2. Care Quality Commission

Regulation 18: Staffing.

Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

3. Care Quality Commission

Safe and Effective Staffing — Assessment Guidance.