The UK care sector is facing an unprecedented challenge: a care capacity crisis driven by rising demand, staff shortages, and outdated workforce systems. According to Skills for Care, the adult social care workforce in England will need to increase by 29% (equivalent to 440,000 extra jobs) by 2035 just to keep pace with healthcare demands.
In such a pressurised landscape, finding smarter, more sustainable ways to manage people and operations is no longer optional, but it’s essential. One of the most powerful tools available today is Cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) systems like Sage People.
The care sector currently employs around 1.52 million people in England alone, but with an annual staff turnover rate of 30.4%, retaining and managing employees has become a serious operational headache. In many care settings, HR and workforce planning still rely on outdated spreadsheets, manual rotas, and disconnected data. This lack of efficiency leads to:
This isn’t just an issue for HR it becomes a wider business concern as well. That’s why investing in digital transformation is critical to safeguarding both people and profits.
Sage People is a flexible, scalable HCM platform designed for mid-sized organisations, including those in the health and care sector. Its cloud-native design means providers can access real-time insights and manage HR functions from anywhere.
Here’s how Sage People can help address care sector challenges:
1. Smarter workforce planning
With dynamic people analytics, care providers can track workforce trends, predict demand, and plan staffing levels accordingly. This means better alignment between care capacity and available resources.
2. Streamlined onboarding and retention
Automated onboarding reduces time-to-productivity, while employee self-service features empower staff to manage their own profiles, reducing admin time and boosting morale.
3. Real-time compliance management
With integrated compliance and training tracking, providers can ensure staff credentials are always up to date and reduce the risk of regulatory breaches, which can be a major concern for care organisations.
4. Improved staff engagement
Sage People enables regular pulse surveys, something we use internally at Phase 3, feedback tools, and flexible working options. This fosters a culture of engagement and development, helping retain valued team members in a highly competitive market.
To unlock the full potential of your Sage People system, our award-winning consultants can help you improve its performance, as well as help you implement the platform if you’re looking to switch to Sage People.
This is where your CFO will want to know more about your HR platform. Improved HR processes benefit not only staff, they also deliver measurable savings. Automating HR tasks and optimising workforce management can cut admin costs by up to 40%, according to PWC. For an industry with narrow margins, that’s a significant gain.
Furthermore, cloud platforms help avoid costly compliance failures and enable more agile budget planning, ensuring providers can meet both CQC standards and financial goals.
Mid-sized care organisations often find themselves too large for simple HR tools, but too small to justify the complexity of enterprise platforms. Sage People is designed precisely for this middle ground, offering the scalability, functionality, and customisation needed without overwhelming internal teams.
And with the help of our expert Sage People consulting services, the implementation and training process becomes even more seamless, ensuring the system remains relevant and easy to use going forward.
Rolling out a cloud-based system isn’t just about choosing the right software; it’s about adopting the right strategy. At Phase 3, we offer Sage People consulting services to help care providers:
With deep sector knowledge and a collaborative approach, we ensure Sage People becomes a transformative tool, not just another tech implementation.
Speak to our team today about Sage People consulting services to future-proof your tech.
People are at the heart of care, both in terms of those who receive it and those who provide it. Cloud-based systems like Sage People give care organisations the tools to succeed. With the right platform and the right partner, the care capacity can be a catalyst for positive change.
Explore Sage People consulting services now to transform your workforce management.
Assad founded Phase 3 in 2004 and is responsible for the strategy, growth and finances of the business.
