Female care managers outnumber men by four to one

A survey of domiciliary care managers in Wales has found that professionals are four times more likely to be women than men, according to the Care Council for Wales.

In their first profile of domiciliary care managers, the Council found that the majority of services are run by experienced professionals with appropriate qualifications, 81 per cent of whom are female and a third of whom are found to be within the age-group of 46 to 55.

The findings suggest a mature and female-led sector, but one that is not matched within the general workforce where only 27 per cent of employees have held their carer’s role for more than 10 years and 55 per cent for more than 5.

Care Council director of regulation and professional standards, Gerry Evans, believes workforce development is very important, saying: “While this workforce is qualified and has a relatively low turnover, the older age profile of the domiciliary care managers means we have a challenge to ensure there will be enough new recruits entering the profession in future to meet the needs of those using services. A similar situation exists among adult care home managers in Wales.”

He continues: “It is also important to ensure managers move beyond minimum qualifications and are given opportunities to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to lead in the provision of high-quality services. To address this, the Care Council is considering the requirements for a continuing professional development framework for managers.”

The survey also found that the private sector is easily the largest care sector employer in Wales, accounting for close to 60 per cent of domiciliary care managers, with voluntary bodies and local authorities around 20 per cent each.