How to cover care home staff shortages without lowering standards
Sickness, holidays and turnover leave gaps in every rota. Here is how registered managers can fill them quickly while keeping residents safe and CQC ready.
The Oak Group · 8 Oct 2026 · 1 min read
Every registered manager knows the feeling. It is late afternoon, two carers have called in sick and the night shift is short. The pressure to fill the gap with anyone available is real, but the people you bring in will be supporting some of the most vulnerable people in your community.
Plan for gaps before they happen
Most shortages are predictable. Look back at the last twelve months of rotas and you will see the same pressure points: school holidays, Christmas, winter illness. Agree a standing arrangement with a trusted agency for those weeks so cover is booked before you need it.
Insist on the same checks you would make yourself
Agency staff should meet exactly the same standard as your own team. Before anyone starts, ask for confirmation of:
- An Enhanced DBS with an adult barred list check
- Proof of the right to work in the UK
- The Care Certificate or a Health and Social Care Diploma
- In date moving and handling and safeguarding training
- Two references, ideally from previous care employers
Keep the same faces where you can
Residents, especially those living with dementia, find constant change unsettling. Ask your agency to send the same carers to your home wherever possible, and give them a proper induction the first time they arrive.
Consistent faces are not a luxury in care. They are part of good care.
Work with a partner who understands care
At The Oak Group we run care services ourselves, so we know what a good carer looks like. Tell us what you need and we will send vetted staff, usually within 48 hours.
We place vetted care and cleaning staff across the UK.
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