Recruitment agencies and the people who work through them should play a central role in planning the workforce for a National Care Service, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).
Responding to the Prime Minister’s speech at Labour Conference 2026, Maxine Bligh, interim chief executive of the REC, called for a partnership approach with the private sector and continuous dialogue over staffing needs.
A partnership approach to staffing
Bligh said employment businesses and their workers would be a significant part of the workforce plan needed to deliver the proposed service. She urged the government to learn from what the REC regards as mistakes in NHS staffing policy.
“This requires a partnership approach with the private sector and continuous dialogue to deliver a workforce plan that will deliver on the scale needed.”
Maxine Bligh, interim chief executive, Recruitment and Employment Confederation
The REC’s response focuses on involving recruiters in workforce planning, alongside the government’s wider ambitions for the service.
Local knowledge and devolution
Bligh also welcomed the emphasis on devolution as a means of supporting growth and jobs. She said recruiters are often at the heart of local communities, understanding employers’ skills requirements and helping candidates into work.
In the REC’s view, local businesses, local authorities and residents working together can create stronger labour markets because they understand their communities’ needs.
Why it matters for recruitment
For agencies working in care, the response makes the case for early involvement in discussions about workforce supply, local skills and delivery. It is a call for collaboration on staffing policy, rather than an announcement of a new recruitment contract or commissioning arrangement.
Further information is available from the REC press office.
Illustrative photo: Jsme MILA / Pexels.
