Support worker pay does not reflect the skilled, complex, and responsible work they do. Inadequate funding for providers, particularly in the non-profit sector, has meant that the sector has been beset by low pay.
Currently, four in ten social care workers earn less than the real living wage. Between 2013 and 2020, the average pay for a sales assistant increased from 13p less than a care worker to 21p more. Non-profit social care providers are restricted in increasing pay by tough limits on local authority budgets. Many skilled social care workers often have no choice but to leave the workforce for better paid roles elsewhere. (Sources: IPPR, Skills for Care)
It’s vital that we invest in the people who work in social care so they are paid in line with their skills and experience and there is a more resilient labour market. This ensures continuity of care for the people we support so they know the person who is coming into their home and the support worker knows them, their ways to communicate, what they enjoy doing and they don’t have to suffer a high turnover of staff.
The knock on effect
Survey findings from ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) show that more than half a million people are now waiting for an adult social care assessment, for care or a direct payment to begin or for a review of their care.
Without a social care workforce, both the care sector and the health sector cease to function. Right now, government must take workforce issues in social care seriously.
The economic case for social care investment
There is a strong economic case for further investment in social care.
The social care sector makes a significant contribution to the UK economy.
£25.6
5%
How can you help?
One crucial thing you can do to help push for better social care worker pay is to talk to your MP. You can write to them, book into one of their surgeries or see if the people you support would like to invite them to visit and see support work happening in person.
First: Find your MP
Finding your MP is easier than you may think. Simply visit writetothem.com and use your postcode to look them up. On their information page they will have their contact details listed; you can email them, post a letter to them or both!
Next: Contact them
You can book into one of their surgeries (public sessions where they talk to their constituents) or write to them by email/post. We’ve provided some suggested text and resources to help you do this.
Write to them about Pay Fair For Social Care
Writing to them is a quick and easy way to share what’s important to you. We’ve provided some information about why we’re running the campaign and we recommend you personalise this and include that you are one of their constituents.
Book into one of their surgeries
Most MPs hold surgeries in their constituency to give people an opportunity to meet them and discuss matters of concern. MPs usually hold surgeries once a week and advertise them locally or online. A MP may take up an issue on a constituent’s behalf (ParliamentUK).
Contact your MP to find out more.
Information to help you lobby your MP
- Everyday thousands of care and support workers undertake complex delegated nursing tasks. They work to understand and tackle the causes of distressed behaviour. They support people to make choices and gain control over their life. They maintain family relationships, help with friendships, support with employment and personal care. They are skilled, professional workers.
- Continuity of support is vital, and this is affected by low pay leading to a high turnover of staff. It’s disruptive for an individual with complex needs to be supported by someone they don’t know from an agency.
- If they don’t know the person coming into their home to support them this can make them worry.
- A support worker understands how they communicate, and this takes time for an agency worker to learn, affecting the quality of support.
- Support workers know what the individual(s) they support likes to do and has been matched with them to ensure they have common interests and hobbies.
- We need the government to benchmark and fund minimum care worker pay at NHS Band 3, currently £11.67 per hour. This would set care and support workers alongside NHS therapy assistants, pharmacy assistants, and clerical staff. It would allow care and support workers to earn a wage aligned with their skills and responsibilities.
- In the past three years a typical sales assistant has gone from earning 13 pence per hour less than a care and support worker to 21p more. This shift is having a huge impact on people’s career choices.
- Amidst the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, many skilled care and support workers are moving to better paid roles elsewhere. This has resulted in 152,000 job vacancies across social care, and hundreds of thousands of people needing care but not receiving it.
- Overstretched local authorities are struggling to meet the real cost of care and this leads to Providers like Dimensions having to subsidise care and support which is unsustainable.