Care staff survey questions, by issue
The questions are where it starts: they show you where to act. Each group below begins with what research on care has found, says what the questions help you see and how to track them, then gives the questions in a box. Statements are answered on a scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree.
The first question in each box is the core question for that issue. Keep it the same from one survey to the next: research on measuring change over time shows that comparisons only hold when the question stays the same. Use the rest as they are, add your own, or ask us: we work with you to fine-tune your questions.
Turnover and retention
Will new carers stay past their first year?
Skills for Care's 2026 workforce report puts care worker turnover in England at 28.2%, and at 33.7% among care workers in their first year in the role, against 12.6% for those with 20 years or more. A quarter of the staff in DHSC's survey of care staff in England said they would leave as soon as they found another job. Research on new starters finds that knowing what is expected, feeling confident in the job and feeling accepted by the team help people settle and stay.
What it helps you see: who is thinking of leaving in their first months, and whether induction, shadowing and the first rotas are working.
Questions to ask
- I see myself still working here in a year's time.
- My induction prepared me for the work I do.
- I had enough time shadowing experienced colleagues before I worked on my own.
- I feel accepted by the team I work with.
- What would make you more likely to stay?
How to track it: ask the core question in every survey, and follow new starters with an onboarding journey, with check-ins such as 30, 60 and 90 days after they join. Compare homes and branches on a dashboard to see where people leave soonest.
Workload and staffing
Do carers have time to care?
In DHSC's survey of care staff in England, 40% of staff said they did not have enough time to do the job well within their paid hours, rising to 56% in residential care, and 24% of staff in home care and similar services reported too little or no pay for travel between visits. Skills for Care found that the care homes with the highest CQC scores had a median of 1.50 staff per bed, against 1.26 at the lowest-scoring.
What it helps you see: where shifts are short-staffed, where care feels rushed, and in home care whether rotas leave realistic, paid time to travel.
Questions to ask
- I can usually get my work done well in the time I have.
- There are enough staff on my shifts to give people the care they need.
- My rota gives me enough time to travel between visits.
- What gets in the way of giving good care?
How to track it: run a short pulse survey on a schedule you set, split by home, branch and shift, and set the answers beside your rotas and staffing.
Burnout and wellbeing
Are carers running on empty?
Stress and burnout were the most common reason care staff gave DHSC's survey for thinking of leaving, named by 60%, ahead of low pay at 54%. In a study of 2,062 UK care home staff, 29.5% had high burnout, and younger staff, staff with English as a second language and staff who worked only nights were at higher risk.
Whether carers can afford to stay at home when they are ill matters too: in English care homes early in the COVID-19 pandemic, paying staff sick pay was linked to less infection among staff.
What it helps you see: who is most stretched, by role, shift and home, and whether people can rest, take their breaks and get support after a hard shift.
Questions to ask
- I have enough energy left for life outside work.
- I can take my breaks, even on busy shifts.
- I can get support after a difficult or upsetting shift.
- I can afford to stay off work when I'm ill.
How to track it: ask in a pulse survey every month or quarter, and split the results by shift, so you can see whether nights differ from days.
Safety · Lone working
Do carers feel safe, in the home and on visits?
41% of the care staff in DHSC's survey had been physically assaulted by someone they care for or support in the past year: 59% in residential care and 29% in home care. Home carers often visit alone, and HSE says employers must manage the risks before anyone works alone.
What it helps you see: where aggression happens, whether staff feel supported afterwards, and whether people working alone know how to get help.
Questions to ask
- I feel safe at work.
- I know what to do if someone I support becomes aggressive.
- After an incident, I get the support I need.
- When I work alone, I know how to get help quickly.
How to track it: ask in every pulse survey and report care homes and home care separately. An alert tells the right person that an answer needs attention.
Discrimination, harassment and inclusion
Is every carer treated with respect?
The same survey found that 39% of care staff had faced harassment, bullying or abuse from the people they support in the past year, 23% from colleagues and 22% from managers. Among local authority care staff, Skills for Care found that colleagues from the global majority reported 48% higher rates of harassment, bullying or abuse from colleagues than white colleagues, and a review of UK research found wider inequalities in recruitment, progression and treatment at work.
The CQC was told of 787 services losing their licence to sponsor overseas workers in 2025/26, most for paying incorrect salaries.
What it helps you see: whether carers from every background are treated fairly by the people they support, families, colleagues and managers, and whether they feel able to say so.
Questions to ask
- I am treated with respect by the people I work with.
- When someone I support or their family is abusive, my manager backs me.
- People here are treated fairly whatever their background or where they come from.
- If I had a problem with my contract, pay or visa, I would know who to ask.
How to track it: split results by role and, where groups are big enough, by background, with the ethics filter on so results are only shown for groups of six or more.
Management and support · Training and progression
Do carers get the support and training to grow?
Skills for Care found care worker turnover of 28.3% where the registered manager had been in post for less than a year, against 20.6% where they had been in post for 20 years or more. Research across sectors finds that support for development keeps people only when they can also see a way to progress where they are.
What it helps you see: whether supervision and training reach every carer, which homes have the leadership to keep people, and whether carers can see a future with you.
Questions to ask
- My manager supports me when I need it.
- I have regular supervision that helps me do my job.
- I have had the training I need to do my job well.
- I can see a way to progress here.
How to track it: compare homes and branches on a dashboard, especially after a change of manager, and bring what you learn into supervision and appraisals.
