Uncompetitive pay, increase fuel prices and the cost of living has been labelled among the factors for high adult social care vacancies in the county.

In Suffolk, there are 2,400 vacancies in the sector as of April 2022, an increase of 800 from the year before when it was 1,600.

A report to Suffolk County Council this week sets out what is impacting recruitment and what can be done to combat these issues.

Officers said the main factors impacting recruitment and retention were uncompetitive staff pay, cost of living pressures, increased fuel prices, lack of career progression for front-line staff and the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

The report also considers what is being done by the council to combat these issues. These include financial investment, delivering care in new ways, workforce development and raising the profile of care.

Data from the national agency Skills for Care showed a turnover rate in the county was 32.4 per cent and a vacancy rate of 11.4 per cent for the same period.

Across the East of England, turnover and vacancy rates were just slightly lower – at 32.2 per cent and 11.3 per cent respectively.

The turnover and vacancy rates for the whole of England between April 2021 and 2022 indicated a better national picture, at 29 per cent and 10.7 per cent respectively.

Such financial incentives that could be looked at as a way to combat the issues including payments for care providers in rural areas and a pilot in which the council commissions 14-hour blocks with a provider to source care in hard-to-reach areas.

The council expects the distribution of £2.2m from the government for adult care to be confirmed this month.

The fund runs from April 2022 to 2023 and is aimed at addressing shortfalls in the price paid for care. It is restricted to care homes for the over-65s and home care for adults.

The recruitment and retention of support workers in adult social care report is to be discussed by the county council’s scrutiny committee on Thursday.