Highland care providers say lack of affordable housing is adding to staff recruitment crisis in the region
A lack of affordable housing in the Highlands is fuelling the social care staffing crisis, care providers across the region are warning.
There are currently about 120 vacancies in the region’s 46 independent care homes.
As they struggle to attract a skilled workforce, care providers cite challenges from the impact of Brexit to the cost-of-living - but also say the lack of affordable accommodation in the Highlands is proving to be a massive barrier to recruitment.
The sector is now looking to creative solutions from building staff accommodation pods on site to exploring the possibility of a room-matching online platform for care staff in a bid to tackle the problem.
• Inverness recruitment event aims to tackle job vacancies in care sector
• Highland care provider Parklands to see costs rise by £80,000-a-month due to National Insurance hike
Gwen Harrison, of Scottish Care - an organisation which represents the independent social care sector in Scotland - said there was a staffing crisis across the country due to wide-ranging issues but this was amplified in the Highlands due to its geography.
“We struggle to fill vacancies in adult social care across Highland,” said Ms Harrison, the independent sector lead for care homes in the Highlands.
“It was greatly impacted by burnout of staff during the pandemic, negative media coverage, rates of pay and perception of career pathways.
“It is also affected by population available and impact of Brexit and recent changes to overseas recruitment processes.”
But she also said that accommodation was a growing issue in the region.
“Accommodation for staff is challenging in many areas of Scotland but especially in Highland due to the lack of affordable housing as well as the high tourism and many rental and owned properties being part of the tourism sector in the more rural and urban areas which has impacted availability of affordable accommodation for social care staff,” she said.
Care providers have highlighted a lack of social housing and properties to buy or rent especially in Inverness, Dingwall and Nairn and other surrounding areas.
About 70 per cent of the region’s independent sector care home providers have a sponsorship license to recruit from overseas - although this only happens after much investment to fill job vacancies with local people - and many say accommodation is a “significant” concern while a survey in December 2024 revealed 50 per cent still had international workers who had been unable to secure permanent accommodation.
Providers are now turning to alternative measures such as agreements with B&B providers, buying accommodation or building pods on-site although planning permission or location can sometimes be difficult.
Another provider, who highlighted difficulties around leases for multiple staff in one building, is exploring the possibility of corporate leases.
Other suggestions include a room-matching scheme for health/social care staff which has been used in other places, and using UHI halls of residence as a temporary option during the summer.
Scottish Care has also created a new post in the Highlands to focus on the next generation of the workforce and encourage young people to consider the careers available in their local areas.
Alex McCaulay, the chairperson of Scottish Care in the Highlands, is also the owner of the 25-bed Isle View Nursing Home in the rural community of Aultbea in Wester Ross.
“We have been able to attract staff from elsewhere to supplement the local staff as we have two bungalows on-site so we can use those for accommodation,” she said.
“If we didn’t have those bungalows, our business would have been in serious trouble over the last five years - I’m not sure we would have survived if we didn’t have those bungalows.”
She said a lack of funding in social care underpinned the many challenges facing the sector but the knock-on impact of the lack of affordable housing in the Highlands was creating a crisis.
Councillor Isabelle Mackenzie, one of Highland Council’s champions for older people, said as the demand for healthcare services increased with an ageing population, especially with growing pressures on Raigmore Hospital and community care providers, one critical factor often overlooked was the lack of affordable housing options.
“While healthcare staff do not currently fall under the affordable housing list, this exclusion could be limiting the recruitment pool,” she said.
“Without affordable accommodation, we risk losing potential healthcare workers to other regions where housing is more accessible.
“This issue is particularly relevant in rural and remote areas of the Highlands, where housing options are even more restricted.”
She said there was a need to explore potential solutions such as incentivising housing availability, offering housing subsidies, or collaborating with the local authority and housing associations to include healthcare workers in the affordable housing category.
“Given the increasing pressures on the healthcare system, including the challenges with patient discharge from Raigmore without adequate care at home or support from care providers, it’s important that housing considerations be integrated into the recruitment and retention strategy,” she said.
