Volunteers in the formal long-term care workforce

With an increasing political emphasis on the role of social capital and civic engagement, and within the current climate of financial and economic turmoil, volunteering has assumed a significant position in the map of long-term care.There is currently little evidence around levels and patterns of volunteering within formal long-term care services, such as care homes. In this issue of the Social Care Workforce Periodical, we use recent data from the NMDS-SC to investigate these questions.The analysis is focused on formal provision of long-term care, through services to adults and older people with different types of needs. The current analysis and findings provide a unique insight into the contribution of volunteers to long-term care in England. This is particularly important given the growing demand for care, resource constraints and emphasis on the role of civil society in providing support to the wider community.