Public priorities for workforce investment centre on pay, progression and working conditions

Latest polling from the Health Foundation and Ipsos finds public support for a range of measures to strengthen the adult social care workforce, with establishing a clear pay scale for care workers emerging as the most commonly selected priority. The survey also finds that more people oppose than support ending the care worker visa route.

The Health Foundation and Ipsos continue a programme of public polling research tracking attitudes towards social care and health policy.

The latest survey (May 2026) explored public views on workforce policy in adult social care and international recruitment. Key findings include:

• Public priorities for workforce investment centre on pay, progression and working conditions: When asked which workforce measures the government should prioritise for investment, the most commonly selected option was establishing a social care pay scale with rates linked to skills and experience. Similar proportions selected improving terms and conditions for care workers and introducing a new minimum pay rate, while around a third selected improving training and development opportunities. Very few selected one-off bonus payments as a priority.
• More people oppose than support ending the care worker visa route: Just over half of the public oppose the government's planned closure of the care worker visa route, while around one in five support the policy. Opposition is higher among people who have recently used social care services, as well as among Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green supporters.
• Views differ across demographic and political groups: Support for ending the visa route is higher among men, those aged 55-64, and Reform UK supporters than among the public overall.

These findings are published alongside new analysis from the Health Foundation examining public attitudes towards social care workforce reforms and international recruitment.

Read more and download the slide pack from The Health Foundation’s website here.

Technical note

The survey was conducted between 21 and 26 May 2026 using Ipsos' UK KnowledgePanel, a random probability online panel. We surveyed 2,214 people aged 16 years and older in the UK. A response rate of 53% was achieved. The sample was reviewed on key demographics to ensure a balanced sample was selected. Weighting was applied to the data to ensure the survey results are as representative of the UK population as possible. Calibration weighting was applied to region and an interlocked variable of Gender by Age; and demographic weights were applied to Education, Ethnicity, Index of Multiple Deprivation (quintiles), and number of adults in the household.