DigiHive (4/4) – Why people don’t leave care jobs – they leave how it feels to work there

Workforce pressure in adult social care is nothing new. Recruitment is difficult, competition is intense, and pay constraints remain a constant challenge.

 

But those factors only tell part of the story.

In the final Care England and DigiHive session, Richard Ayres and Samir Patel explore a more uncomfortable truth: people do not usually leave because of policies, processes or paperwork. They leave because of how it feels to work there.

 

That shift in perspective matters.

Because while funding and pay are critical, they do not fully explain why some services retain staff better than others operating in the same local market. The difference, more often than not, comes down to leadership and culture.

As Samir Patel explains, retention is not simply an HR issue. It is a leadership issue. It is about how people feel day-to-day – whether they feel supported, seen and valued.

And those feelings are shaped in small, consistent moments.

One of the most powerful examples shared in the session brings this to life. A team member returned to work after a long period of absence. When she arrived, her colleagues had decorated her workspace, residents had written cards, gifts had been prepared, and one member of the team had even written a song to welcome her back.

That was not policy. It was not strategy.

It was culture.

Moments like that cannot be mandated. They are created through environment, leadership behaviour and shared values. They reflect a workplace where people feel connected, appreciated and part of something meaningful.

That matters, because care is hard.

The demands on staff are increasing. The needs of residents are more complex than ever. And the emotional and physical load carried by care workers continues to grow.

In that context, people do not stay because the job is easy. They stay because they feel part of a team that values them.

This is where leadership becomes critical.

It is easy, when under pressure, to default to recruitment activity. More adverts, more interviews, more urgency. But as the discussion highlights, this can distract from the more important question: why are people leaving in the first place?

Exit interviews, when used properly, can provide honest insight. Not as a defensive exercise, but as an opportunity to learn. Often, the answer is not a policy gap. It is an experience gap.

How did it feel to work here?

The practical takeaway from this session is deliberately simple.

Start small.

Sit down with one member of your team. Turn your phone off. Be present. Say thank you – and be specific about why.

It will not transform your culture overnight.

But it will begin to shape it.

Because culture in care is not built in strategy documents or values statements.

It is built in everyday interactions.

And in a sector where people are the service, how it feels to work there is not a soft issue.

It is the issue.

 

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Watch the full podcast:

 

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing further insights across the four key leadership areas: Profit, Quality, Time and People

All grounded in real care home leadership — not theory.

Samir, Founder – Care Home DigiHive

For further information about DigiHive, go to: DigiHive x Care England