We are thrilled to be able to share with you our 2021 follow-up rapid report on COVID-19 vaccination and the social care workforce.
Conducted between April and May, this research aims to do three things. Firstly, to reassess vaccine hesitancy in comparison to our first rapid report in December 2020. Secondly, to ascertain how people working in social care feel about vaccination becoming mandatory and thirdly, to suggest social care policy recommendations to aide successful and sustained vaccine rollout across the sector.
Some Headline findings:
- The majority of respondents are in favour of mandatory vaccination however
- There is still a high proportion against mandatory vaccination (40%)
- Vaccine hesitancy within the sector has significantly reduced (from 41% to 11%)
Based on our research and what people working in social care have told us, we make the following recommendations:
1. Caution: caution should be taken in implementing policies which encourage top-down decisions such as mandatory vaccinations. Education and support have been shown as very effective ways of improving confidence in vaccines and infection measures.
2. Support: a centralised information system and official platform for care-related vaccine news and information, supported by associations and trusted organisations
3. Coproduction: More regular consultation to address where people working in social care may feel distanced from decision-making, such as on whether to enforce mandatory vaccination.
Quotes from people who filled out the survey that we've included in the report:
