Agency Staff Are Part of Today’s Team — Have You Included Them?

An agency worker arrives for a shift. Their name is on the rota, the team knows cover has been arranged and everyone is relieved to have another person available. But does that worker know who is leading the shift, where to find essential information and whom to contact when something is unclear?

Responding to the latest social care workforce report, the Health Foundation warned this week that falling vacancies sit alongside slowing workforce growth and continuing recruitment pressures. For providers using temporary staff, it is a timely reminder to consider how those colleagues are supported once they arrive. An agency booking fills a staffing requirement. Making the arrangement work safely requires preparation, communication and cooperation from the whole team.

Begin with an introduction

Introduce the worker by name and explain their role. Identify the person leading the shift and the colleagues they will work alongside. Avoid assuming that an experienced agency worker will immediately understand how your service operates. Familiarity with care work does not provide knowledge of your building, reporting arrangements or the preferences of the people receiving support.

A brief welcome also gives the worker an opportunity to identify anything they need clarified before starting. Check whether they have worked in the service before and what may have changed since their last shift.

Provide a focused local induction

Prepare a practical induction that reflects the role and setting. Cover emergency arrangements, how to summon assistance, relevant equipment and the procedures the worker needs for their allocated duties. Make clear where essential information can be found and how it should be accessed securely. If the worker needs a system account or other authorised access, arrange it through the proper process. Sharing another employee’s login should not become the solution to a rushed start.

Returning workers may need updates rather than the same introduction each time. Keep an appropriate record of what has been covered and check understanding rather than relying solely on a signature.

Include them in the handover

Temporary colleagues need the information relevant to the care they will deliver. Include them in the handover and allow time for questions. Explain current needs, significant changes and any risks or instructions relevant to their responsibilities. Refer to current records and care plans rather than relying on informal descriptions or assumptions about what someone already knows.

Consider how introductions to people receiving care will happen. Explain who the worker is and what support they will provide, taking account of the person’s communication needs and preferences.

Agree responsibilities before the shift becomes busy

Clarify which duties the agency worker will undertake and who will provide supervision or advice. Check that the allocation reflects their role, experience and confirmed competence. An experienced worker may still be unfamiliar with a particular device, local system or individual support arrangement. Give them space to say so without treating the question as an inconvenience.

Make escalation routes explicit. They should know whom to contact if someone’s condition changes, an instruction is unclear or they are asked to undertake something beyond their competence.

Make questions welcome in practice

Telling someone to ask if they need help offers little reassurance if every question receives an impatient response. Permanent employees help shape whether temporary colleagues feel able to speak up. Encourage the team to answer respectfully, explain unfamiliar routines and avoid remarks suggesting that an agency worker should already know everything.

A worker who checks an instruction may be taking appropriate care. Managers should also distinguish between an individual’s learning needs and gaps in the information the service has provided. Check in during the shift. A short conversation can identify uncertainty before it becomes a larger problem.

Keep everyday communication inclusive

Information often moves through quick conversations that never reach a formal briefing. A changed arrangement, a delayed appointment or a new concern may be discussed between familiar colleagues while the temporary worker remains unaware.

Consider who needs each update and how you will make sure they receive it. Use approved communication methods and avoid relying on personal messaging groups that exclude some staff or create confidentiality concerns. Include agency workers in relevant safety discussions and opportunities to raise concerns. Their temporary status does not reduce the importance of what they observe.

Share the workload fairly

Allocate duties according to people’s needs, staff competence and the support available. Avoid routinely giving agency colleagues the least desirable assignments simply because they are temporary. Be alert to the opposite problem, too: permanent staff should not quietly absorb all complex responsibilities while also providing unplanned induction and supervision.

Discuss the allocation clearly and review it if circumstances change. Everyone should understand who is responsible for what and where additional support is needed.

Listen to their observations

A temporary worker may notice unclear signage, inconsistent instructions or a process that regular staff have learned to work around. Invite feedback without assuming that an unfamiliar colleague has misunderstood the service. Ask what happened, check the facts and consider whether the issue could affect others.

Give agency workers the same clear route for reporting incidents or concerns relevant to their work. Where follow-up is needed after the placement ends, establish how appropriate contact will be maintained.

Plan beyond the immediate booking

Where possible, consider whether returning workers can provide greater familiarity and continuity. Share relevant feedback with the agency through agreed channels and address concerns promptly. Review repeated reliance on temporary cover alongside your longer-term workforce plans. Our article, Can Your Care Workers See a Future With You?, explores questions about developing and retaining the permanent team.

Employers can also follow our coverage of zero-hours contract reforms and their potential costs as part of the wider discussion about workforce arrangements. Different contractual arrangements require careful consideration, while day-to-day teamwork still depends on clear communication and mutual respect.

An agency worker may be with you for one shift or return regularly. During the time they are delivering care, they need the information, support and welcome that allow them to contribute fully to the team.

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