Workforce
once. In week one, gather the basics: current contracts, usual hours, vacancies, agency spend, overtime patterns, pay queries and sponsored-worker records. In week two, review the rota process. Look at how far in advance rotas are issued, how changes are recorded and where short-notice cover is most common. In week three, examine payroll exceptions and recurring manual adjustments. In week four, bring managers together to agree three immediate improvements, such as earlier internal shift offers, a standard rota-change process or a clearer payroll sign-off checklist. The most important point is to turn
information into action. A workforce dashboard is useful only if it leads to better decisions. Providers should choose a small number of measures they can review monthly, such as agency hours, unfilled shifts, overtime distribution, pay queries,
sickness absence and staff turnover in the first six months.
A new baseline for care workforce management The care sector is not facing a short-term squeeze that will simply pass. It is adapting to a new baseline: tighter access to overseas recruitment, a higher wage floor, sustained employer National Insurance pressure and an employment law framework that will continue to develop into 2027. For care home providers, the answer
is not to remove flexibility. Flexibility is essential in care. The answer is to make flexibility more structured, fairer and easier to evidence. That means understanding the workforce already in place, giving staff clearer visibility of work, using payroll data as intelligence, supporting managers to make consistent decisions and preparing for
Top tips: sponsorship housekeeping
n Keep a central calendar of visa and right-to-work dates.
n Review job titles, duties, hours and work locations against sponsorship records.
n Make sure managers know when a change may need escalation.
n Communicate rule changes carefully and avoid giving informal immigration advice.
n Signpost employees to appropriate professional advice where needed.
n Include sponsored workers in development and retention planning.
legal change before it arrives. Providers that act now will be better
placed to protect care quality, support employee wellbeing and remain financially resilient. In a sector where people are both the largest cost and the greatest asset, practical workforce planning is no longer optional. It is part of delivering safe, sustainable care. n
Georgina Richards
As Sona payroll director, Georgina believes that her specialism - often the most complex and consequential part of running a workforce - should be a source of confidence rather than anxiety. She works closely with organisations to cut through legislative complexity and make compliance manageable for all care operators.
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com July 2026
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