News
Women ‘blocked from the board’ in social care despite
dominating workforce work deserving of investment and ambition.” Care England chief executive Professor
Women are significantly underrepresented in adult social care board-level roles despite making up the vast majority of the workforce, a Care England report has revealed. The report, The Overlooked Majority, finds
that women account for 78 per cent of the adult social care workforce in England, yet hold well under half (41 per cent) of board positions. The findings, based on 12 interviews with
senior leaders and 157 survey responses, also show barriers to progression in the sector are not explicitly recognised as gender- related by those experiencing them. Dubbed a ‘recognition gap’, the report found that women initially report no gender-related issues, but later describe challenges such as unequal access to networks, assumptions about flexibility and commitment, and the disproportionate burden of unpaid caring responsibilities – all of which have a gendered dimension. The report also highlights wider structural
issues, including the historic perception of care as ‘women’s work’, which it argues continues to suppress both status and pay across the sector. Care England policy board member and
Elizabeth Finn Homes chief executive Dr Olivia Curno said the sector must confront how care work is perceived and valued. “For too long, social care has depended on the dedication of women while failing to properly value the work itself,” she said. “We must recognise care as skilled, essential
Martin Green OBE said the findings expose a challenge “hidden in plain sight”. “If we are serious about building a
sustainable future for social care, we must ensure women have every opportunity to progress, lead and shape the sector they have done so much to build,” he added. The report sets out a series of
recommendations for care providers, including the introduction of 360-degree appraisals, better access to leadership and development opportunities, a stronger effort to embed workplace policies through meaningful culture change, and greater recognition of the burden of unpaid caring responsibilities. At a national level, the report calls on the
government to improve access to affordable childcare, introduce stronger equal pay and pay transparency requirements, support a national mentoring platform for women in adult social care, promote menopause strategies and gender pay gap action plans across employers, challenge the perception of care as ‘women’s work’ through a national campaign, and invest in further research into gender inequality across the workforce. Dr Curno said there are organisations
“across the sector,… demonstrating what change looks like, and showing that progress is possible, practical and profitable. “But responsibility for change must be
shared; the government must address the structural barriers against women through national policy,” she added.
Burstow: Social care needs clear choices on entitlement, funding and responsibility
England’s adult social care system will only become sustainable if reform moves beyond high level ambition and confronts a series of practical design choices on entitlement, funding and responsibility, according to a new intervention from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). In a recent blog, SCIE chair and former shadow health secretary Paul Burstow, argues that while there is broad consensus on what social care should achieve, the system continues to fall short because expectations are not translated into arrangements that work consistently in practice.
Burstow points to the Care Act as providing a clear ambition for wellbeing, independence and individual rights, but says that, access to care remains shaped by eligibility thresholds, local interpretation and available resources. This uncertainty, he warns, leaves many people navigating complex systems at moments of stress or crisis. Central to reform, he argues, is greater coherence on what support is guaranteed and where responsibility sits between the state, individuals and families. Different models exist, ranging from more collective approaches that pool risk across society to systems that place greater emphasis on individual responsibility, but Mr Burstow says reform cannot avoid making the implications of these choices explicit. The SCIE chair’s contribution to the
debate comes after the King’s Fund’s called for reform to fix a system that leaves people who need care and their families left in a ‘no-man’s land’ between the NHS and social care providers. The Casey independent commission on adult social care, is expected to report next year.
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com July 2026
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