Social innovation and resilience: examples from the Long-Term Care (LTC) workforce in England

Internationally long-term care (LTC) systems are under pressure, demand for services is rising alongside concerns for financial sustainability (ILO, 2018). As a labour-intensive sector, long-term care relies heavily on an effective and efficient workforce (Nuffield Trust, 2022). High turnover and attrition rates in many countries is mainly attributed to dissatisfaction with working conditions, including low pay, excessive workload, long hours, and poor career prospects (Skills for Care, 2023). If not addressed adequately, current deficits in long term care work and its quality will create an acute and unsustainable global care crisis (ILO, 2018). The workforce therefore is a key player in whether the LTC system can deliver its objectives, and adapt and transform when needed (Toner, 2011). In England, the potential of innovation to address some of the crucial issues facing society has long been part of public policy (Edminston, 2015). Recently there has been an increased interest in innovation to address the pressures within the LTC system (UK Parliament POST,2022). The on-going workforce crisis within LTC has been described as the single most important factor in the ability of the sector to deliver key elements of government reform and to meet the needs of people who draw on care and support and their families (Skills for Care, 2023; Lamont et al., 2024). To date, much of the literature about LTC innovation has been descriptive, with little conceptualisation or consideration of how social innovations emerge, develop and the conditions needed to embed them in the social care system (Edwards et al,2022; Cowan et al., 2021). This paper aims to contribute to this evidence base by examining examples of LTC workforce innovation through the lens of social resilience theory.