The National Care Forum (NCF) – the leading association for not-for-profit social care has responded to the publication today of the Employment Rights Bill which seeks to strengthen workers’ rights as laid out in the government’s ‘next steps to make work pay’ policy paper.
This includes statutory sick pay from the first day and other day one rights, enhanced parental and caring rights, banning exploitive zero-hours contracts, enhanced trade union rights, an enforcement system in the form a Fair Work Agency, and the legislative underpinning necessary to introduce a Fair Pay Agreement for care workers.
Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of NCF said: “We welcome any measures to strengthen the rights and improve the pay, terms and conditions of the social care workforce who make a significant contribution to our economy and the lives of millions of people.
It is also encouraging to see that the definition of a ‘social care worker’ in the legislation encompasses the wide diversity of people working in the sector, and not just those in registered services.
However, these measures must be accompanied by the financial and wider support necessary for providers to implement them, as well as interim measures to boost care worker pay.
This bill represents a significant step change in basic employment rights which we welcome, and it will be important that employers are supported to deliver these for all workers delivering vital public care services.
“The implementation of a Fair Pay Agreement for care workers, must be backed by state funding as the matter can’t simply be passed to local authorities and employers in an unfunded manner, or it will fail.
The success of a Fair Pay Agreement is predicated upon the shared efforts of employers, commissioners and central government ensuring that resourcing and investment is in the right place to enable sustained increases in wages and the maintenance of pay differentials in more senior roles.
“As well as the investment needed to ensure every care worker receives the fair pay increase they deserve, the state will need to support the creation of a care sector employers’ organisation, similar to the role NHS Employers plays, to sit as part of the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body alongside Trade Unions.
“We know this is a marathon and not a sprint and it will take several years to establish a Fair Pay Agreement and accompanying infrastructure. While that takes place, we urge the government to use the Budget, or Financial Statement in Spring, to implement interim measures to improve the pay of care workers.
“As the report published today by Skills for Care lays bare, there is alarming shrinkage taking place in our domestic care workforce. This picture will only improve if the government takes action to show care workers they are valued and appreciated.
As a first step, the government could adopt the workforce strategy for adult social care facilitated by Skills for Care and developed in collaboration with a wide range of organisations and people with a stake in the future of care services.
“We invite the government to work with us and our not-profit-members to support the implementation of enhanced workers’ employment rights and its plans to introduce a Fair Pay Agreement for care workers and build a National Care Service.”
