Several leading national adult social care organisations have jointly called on the government to deliver a long-term care workforce strategy to tackle the issue of care worker pay.
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), the Care Provider Alliance (CPA), the Care and Support Alliance (CSA), Skills for Care, and the Local Government Association (LGA), amongst others, argue that action on this key issue will help address the problem of recruitment and retention and, in turn, deliver better support for people using care services.
Without improving the pay, conditions, and career progression opportunities of care workers, meaningful progress towards the goal of best supporting people to live the lives they want to lead will be difficult, the group says.
While the group has welcomed the government’s recent adult social care white paper, it notes that a commitment to producing a long-term workforce strategy is still needed to allow for better workforce planning, including consideration of the types of roles and provision that will be needed in the future, as well as establishing the links that need to be made between social care and health workforces.
A position paper published by the group says: “Social care is at a turning point, with a period of major change taking place over the next two years and major reforms now underway. The role of the workforce must be seen as fundamental to delivering integrated, personalised, and preventative care. The insights and expertise of people who draw on social care and the frontline care workforce must be central to this work and serve as the foundation for bringing about a more robust and respected workforce.”
