Lucy Campbell is CEO of national home care provider Right at Home UK

Being in home care, we feel very fortunate not to be hugely impacted by rising energy costs, which is sadly not the same for many care home providers who may struggle to keep their doors open this winter. Likewise, we are not hugely impacted by rising costs relating to food and other key consumables, such as paper.

With demand for our services continuously on the increase, our main challenge is around the supply of an appropriate workforce to meet this need. And in order to be as resilient as possible, we need to be attracting new people to the sector – people who want to stay and develop with us. The answer to the recruitment challenge is complex, but it must start with the sector taking a united front to truly professionalise the rhetoric around a career in care while giving it the kudos it deserves. Only then will we start to attract new talent to the workforce and create much-needed resilience for the future.

Looking after your staff has never been more important – irrespective of what industry you’re working in. With rising costs of living, most people are having to make sacrifices – and as an employer, it really is a case of doing what you can to make a difference and ensure that your staff members feel valued and cared for.

In a nutshell, you need to pay as well as you can afford to; ensure that staff are being recognised and rewarded in a way that’s meaningful to them; and offer them a career pathway that aligns with their goals and ambitions.