Mencap urges government to 'tackle' social care workers' pay

As the government announces new training opportunities for social care staff, a charity warns that without “tackling pay head-on,” the sector could still risk losing its dedicated staff.

As part of the government’s £500million support package, hundreds of thousands of training opportunities will be available for social care staff to develop their careers over the next three years.

But Mencap say that while these opportunities for training and development are an “important part of the puzzle”, urgent action is needed to solve the “crisis facing the social care workforce.”

Matthew Harrison, public affairs and parliamentary manager at Mencap said: “Social care workers put their lives on the line during the Covid-19 crisis and we know they deserve better.

“Care workers should receive a wage that reflects the skilled work they do. Love and loyalty don’t pay the bills, and without tackling pay head-on we risk losing dedicated staff to other sectors like retail and hospitality.

“Without increasing wages, we know that working age disabled adults across the country, including those with a learning disability, will be left at the sharp end of the social care crisis, unable to access care and support. We must not allow this to happen."

'We know how hardworking social care staff are'

The government is working in partnership with the social care sector on plans for staff training and support including creating a new knowledge and skills framework to ensure clear paths to progress.

These learning and development opportunities will include:

• New financial support to help adult social care employers with the costs of continued professional development (CPD) for registered nurses and other allied health professionals

• A brand new care certificate qualification, ending the need for care workers to repeat this training when they move roles. The government will fund more than 100,000 training places for new care workers to complete this new qualification

• Developing a digital hub and skills passport for the workforce. This will help provide a voluntary register of staff and verified records of skills and qualifications when moving between providers

Minister for Care and Mental Health Gillian Keegan said: “Dedicating your life to caring for others is not just a job, it is a calling, but it also needs to be a career. “We know how hardworking social care staff are and they deserve our support in developing their skills through training.

“Better training ultimately means better care for residents and a better future for staff.”

The new framework will set out the knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours people need to work in adult social care. It will also set out career structures and clear pathways for development within roles, as well as creating more routes for progression.

Additional training will include developing skills to help with diabetes, stroke awareness, mental health and care for people with a learning disability and autistic people.