Care England launches survey: gender inequality in the adult social care sector

Care England has launched a survey to deepen our understanding of the structural challenges women face in the workforce.  

This survey aims to gather evidence of gender inequality, its intersection with other factors (for example, socioeconomic background, unpaid caring responsibilities, age, contract type), and career progression in the sector.  

The adult social care workforce is made up of almost 80% women and around 26% staff from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, proportions that are significantly higher than those seen across the wider UK workforce. These characteristics place social care at the centre of many of the wider conversations taking place across society about sex, gender, equality, and fairness in the workplace. Understanding how staff themselves experience their roles, their opportunities, the culture of their workplaces, and whether equality and fairness are reflected in their day-to-day working experience is therefore very important. 

Currently, there is very little evidence of the views of the social care workforce on these issues. This survey has been designed to help understand this gap by gathering perspectives directly from those working across the sector. Your input will help ensure lived experiences are represented in this conversation and shape policy recommendations.  

The findings will be analysed and presented in a white paper, providing an evidence-led overview of how people working in social care perceive equality, opportunity, and workplace culture, informing recommendations for improvement. 

Your responses are anonymous. We would be grateful if you could take 10 minutes to respond. 

Please complete by midday, Friday 10th April 2026.  

To take part in the survey, please click here. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact eblyth@careengland.org.uk.