Nicola Sturgeon promises National Care Service and national wage for care workers

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is promising to create a National Care Service and National Care Wage, if her SNP party is re-elected in May.

The SNP leader’s election manifesto pledged to take forward the recommendations of the independent Feeley Review and establish a National Care Service in the next parliamentary term.

The National Care Service will oversee the delivery of care, improve standards, training and staff pay and conditions while giving support for unpaid carers.

Scotland's care homes won't be 'owned or run' by government

But in the SNP’s manifesto, Nicola Sturgeon said the arrival of a National Care Service, ‘does not mean all care homes will be owned or run by the Scottish Government, but it does mean that we will improve standards, training and pay across the board, and there will be increased accountability for the provision of social care.’

Nicola Sturgeon aims to have the new National Care Service set up within the first year of the new Parliament and ‘fully functioning by the end of the Parliament’.

It will be funded by increasing public investment in social care by 25 per cent over the parliament to deliver more than £800 million in increased support for social care.

National wage for care staff

The SNP leader’s party is also promising to introduce a national wage for care staff ‘and enter into national pay bargaining for the sector based on fair work principles for the first time’.

Nicola Sturgeon’s government has already extended free personal care in Scotland to include working age adults who need it.

The SNP’s manifesto stated social care should be provided on ‘a truly universal basis free at the point of use’.

'Abolish' non-residential care charges

The party has promised to ‘abolish charges for non-residential care’, if re-elected.

Nicola Sturgeon plans to ‘strengthen residents’ rights’ in care homes which includes delivering Anne’s Law – giving nominated relatives or friends the same access rights to care homes as staff (as campaigned for by Care Homes Relatives Scotland).

The SNP party aims to appoint a new Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner to champion the rights of people with learning disabilities and autism. Scotland is also promised a new National Clinical Lead for Palliative and End of life Care.

Carer's Assistance

The SNP pledges to introduce Carer’s Assistance to replace the current Carer’s Allowance in a bid to increase the value of the payment ‘provided we can guarantee UK benefit clawbacks won’t leave carers worse off’.

Scottish Care, which represents Scotland’s care providers, has published its own election manifesto which called for the independent sector to be ‘fairly represented at all levels’ .

Scottish Care: National Care Service 'must be a vehicle for collaboration'

Scottish Care has called for a National Care Service which ‘must be a vehicle for collaboration, transformation and bridging the implementation gaps that currently exist.’

In its manifesto, Scottish Care stated: ‘The Independent Review for Adult Social Care called for the creation of a National Care Service. We believe such a service can drive consistent, high quality social care support if its’ role and remit is clear and it is developed in partnership with people who have a right to receive that support, the social care workforce and providers'.

Scottish Care has also called for the creation of a social care minister role, stating: ‘We are presented with an opportunity to improve relationships and understanding, and to rightly elevate social care to equal status with NHS Scotland in terms of leadership and accountability.’

The Scottish Parliament's election takes place on 6 May.