Case study · Public health and social care
Three years tracking Essex’s social care workforce
Repeat surveys with care providers, council officers, and care workers tracked workforce experiences and relationships with Essex County Council across 2019, 2020, and 2021.
AudienceCare providers, council officers, and care workers across Essex
ApproachTwo repeat online surveys delivered in 2019, 2020, and 2021, with paper alternatives available
Value to Essex County CouncilTrend evidence to inform strategies addressing workforce challenges and supporting high-quality social care
The brief
- Essex County Council needed an up-to-date understanding of its care workforce and the relationship between care providers, care workers, and the Council
- Enventure Research was commissioned to deliver the research in three consecutive years from 2019 to 2021
The approach
- Two questionnaires were designed with Essex County Council, repeating key questions across waves so direct comparisons could be made
- One survey focused on providers and council officers and their working relationship with the Council; the other explored care workers’ experiences, motivations, frustrations, future intentions, and use of digital products and technology
- Surveys were delivered online through personalised invitations, with paper copies also available
The outcome
- For the 2021 wave, 136 provider and officer responses and 279 care-worker responses were received
- Enventure Research produced topline summaries followed by comprehensive analysis, including coding of open-ended feedback, subgroup analysis, and comparison with previous years
- Findings were also presented at Council events and used to inform strategies addressing social care workforce issues
- Benchmarking over time, subgroup analysis, and presentations of findings