Around 900 people passed through the doors of the Kent Showground for the second annual Social Care Expo 08 - a networking and recruitment event for the social care industry.

School leavers interested in a career in the multi-million pound industry were among those who visited 60 stands, with exhibitors from Kent, London and beyond.

Keynote speaker Oliver Mills, managing director of Kent Adult Social Services from Kent County Council, told an audience that numbers of vulnerable people were set to rise, with dementia cases expected to double in 30 years.

He said: "These changes are not about to happen, they are happening."

"They are of particular issue for Kent where we have two (demographic) growth areas in Ashford and North West Kent."

He said that the Government under Gordon Brown had moved social care "to the top of the political agenda," which he welcomed.

But he warned that there was going to be an increasing demand for a growing workforce of people caring for vulnerable adults.

He said: "The quality of care is only as good as the person delivering it. If you have not got people out there who are skilled and experienced, all this will fall away."

The event was organised by the Kent Messenger Group with specialist recruitment company Kent Social Care Professionals.