Unfair to Care 2026: What the Latest Report Means for Social Care Providers
Community Integrated Care has released the fifth edition of its Unfair to Care report, highlighting ongoing workforce inequalities and mounting financial pressures across the adult social care sector.
The latest report, Unfair to Care 2026 – Signs of Change, examines pay disparities between adult social care support workers and equivalent NHS roles, alongside the wider operational challenges facing providers.
Drawing on independent job evaluation analysis conducted by global consultancy Korn Ferry, the report compares the roles and responsibilities of social care support workers with NHS Band 3 staff performing work of comparable complexity and accountability.
A persistent pay gap in the workforce
One of the report’s key findings is the continuing pay gap between adult social care support workers and their NHS counterparts.
Despite a 6.7% increase in the National Living Wage to £12.21 in 2025/26, social care support workers continue to take home on average £7,048 less per year than NHS Band 3 staff performing roles of similar responsibility. Overall, the report identifies a take-home pay gap of 28.6%.
While the report notes that the gap has narrowed from previous years, the findings suggest that significant inequality remains within the workforce. For many across the sector, this raises ongoing concerns around recruitment, retention and long-term workforce stability.
Rising operating costs for providers
Alongside workforce inequality, the report highlights growing financial pressures facing adult social care providers.
Community Integrated Care estimates that operating costs for providers have risen by an average of nine per cent during 2025/26. These increases are largely attributed to unfunded rises in employer National Insurance contributions and the uplift in the National Living Wage.
For many providers, these rising costs come at a time when demand for services continues to increase, placing further pressure on organisations already working within tight financial constraints.
Workforce shortages remain a challenge
The report also points to continuing recruitment and retention challenges across the sector.
Adult social care in England employs approximately 1.59 million people, with around 1.21 million working as support workers. However, vacancy rates remain high at around seven per cent, more than three times the wider UK job vacancy rate of 2.3 per cent.
For providers, maintaining a stable and experienced workforce remains one of the most significant operational challenges.
The potential impact of the Fair Pay Agreement
The report also explores how the Government’s planned Fair Pay Agreement could affect the social care workforce.
The policy, expected to come into force by 2028/29 with £500 million in funding, aims to improve pay and conditions for care workers. However, modelling in the report suggests that the proposed funding would increase wages by around 68p per hour above the National Minimum Wage.
Even with this increase, the report suggests a gap between social care pay and equivalent NHS roles would remain.
Fulcrum Care’s view
For many providers, the findings will reflect the realities they are already experiencing across the sector.
Fabio Cecchi, Commercial Director at Fulcrum Care, says the report highlights the complex environment providers are currently operating within.
“The Unfair to Care report reflects what many organisations are seeing across the sector. Demand for care services continues to grow, while the cost of delivering those services is increasing across several areas, particularly workforce costs, regulatory requirements and operational expenditure.
Providers remain focused on delivering safe, high-quality and person-centred care, but the financial pressures facing the sector mean sustainability remains a key concern.”
Fabio believes that supporting and valuing the workforce will remain central to the future of social care.
“Care professionals deliver skilled and compassionate support that enables people to live with dignity and independence. Strengthening recruitment, retention and career development across the workforce will be essential if the sector is to meet rising demand in the years ahead.”
Looking ahead
While the challenges highlighted in the report are significant, there is also increasing recognition of the critical role social care plays within the wider health system.
Supporting individuals to live independently, reducing pressure on hospitals and enabling people to maintain their quality of life all depend on a stable and sustainable care sector.
As conversations around workforce reform and sector funding continue, the findings from the Unfair to Care 2026 report reinforce the importance of long-term solutions that recognise both the value of care work and the true cost of delivering high-quality services.
Supporting providers to navigate change
For providers, the challenge is not only understanding sector reports and policy developments but translating them into practical action within services.
Navigating regulatory expectations, workforce pressures, and financial sustainability requires strong governance, clear leadership and a realistic understanding of the true cost of care.
At Fulcrum Care, we work with providers to interpret sector developments and translate them into practical, evidence-based approaches to governance, quality assurance and regulatory readiness.
Read more about the report: https://www.communityintegratedcare.co.uk/news/we-launch-unfair-to-care-2026-signs-of-change/
To learn more about Fulcrum Care’s work supporting providers with regulation and quality improvement, visit www.fulcrumcareconsulting.com.