THOUSANDS of older people are waiting for care due to a shortage of experienced and qualified workers, according to a charity

Age Scotland called for greater urgency in tackling a national shortage of care workers, after a report warned 64 per cent of care-at-home services and 57 per cent of care homes for older people struggle to recruit staff.

The charity said more than 8680 people in Scotland have to wait more than the "maximum" six week period for a care assessment, while many have to wait as long as six months for care.

Age Scotland was responding to the first ever national overview of recruitment problems in the care sector by the Care Inspectorate.

This found that more than a third of social care services across Scotland have reported unfilled staff vacancies in the past year, and almost half of those faced difficulty recruiting the right staff.

Managers blamed for the difficulties recruiting workers on a lack of suitable qualifications, candidates without the right experience, or simply too few applicants at all.

Age Scotland said the recruitment crisis was having a knock-on impact on the availability of care in many parts of Scotland, including provision of free personal and social care.

The Scottish Government is currently developing a workforce plan for health and social care. Keith Robson, Age Scotland’s Charity Director, said: “We’re concerned, but not surprised, by these figures. There are clearly problems recruiting qualified workers.

“This is having a serious impact in many parts of Scotland, with vulnerable people facing unacceptable waiting times for care. Many local authorities are resorting to delaying tactics as a result of budget problems or a shortage of care workers.

"This can result in more hospital visits and mean that older people are less likely to be able to live in their own homes."

He said vacancy levels also led to additional pressure on existing staff. "levels of burnout in this sector are soaring, as care workers are under increased pressure and have less time to really care for their clients."

The Scottish Government needed to ensure care was properly funded, he said.

“As demand for care grows, it’s vital that the Scottish Government works with other bodies to ensure that it is properly staffed and funded.

"We welcome their commitment to providing a living wage for care workers. But we need to go further to make these jobs more attractive to more people, and ensure they have the training and support they need.”

The Care Inspectorate survey showed that 59 per cent of care homes reported at least one staff vacancy, as did 57 per cent of care at home services. 57 per cent of care homes said they had problems filling jobs and 64 per cent of care at home services had recruitment difficulties.

A spokesman for the inspectorate said pay was not the only factor causing staffing problems in the sector, with issues like housing shortages and lack of flexible hours also a problem. The impact Brexit will have on the care workforce is still unknown.

Karen Reid, chief executive of the Care Inspectorate, said: “Recruitment and retention remain major challenges in some parts of social care. The reasons are complex and not easy to resolve.

“With people living longer, and early learning and childcare expansion, Scotland needs more people to work in social care."

Care providers, councils and the NHS should work together earlier and better, she said.“We expect to see more innovative solutions embraced by care providers and funders."