The Health and Social Care Secretary’s speech at Labour Party Conference served largely as a continuation of the major policy proposal put forward by the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham MP, while reinforcing existing and offering new commitments to the social care workforce.
Stronger Workforce
Yvette Cooper reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to introducing the first-ever legally-binding Fair Pay Agreement for social care, which would establish legally binding minimum standards for pay and conditions across the sector. She said care workers have been “underpaid and undervalued for far too long”.
She also announced a “proper Workforce Plan” for social care, including clearer career pathways, greater access to training and development, and opportunities to develop specialist skills. This will include thousands of academy places aimed at helping jobseekers build careers in care.
National Collective Pension Scheme
The Health and Social Care Secretary added that the Government will also establish the first national collective care workers pension scheme, recognising the contribution of care workers and addressing the longstanding gap in workplace pensions across the sector.
Recognising unpaid carers
Yvette Cooper also announced that the Government will appoint a new Champion for unpaid carers, with the aim of ensuring the voices and experiences of unpaid carers are properly represented in the development of social care policy.
VODG’s response
As with the Prime Minister’s speech, VODG welcomes the Government’s continuing commitment to the social care workforce and the overall direction of travel of policy announced this week but did flag that there are many immediate changes and challenges facing VCFSE providers, that cannot be overlooked.
For VODG members, this commitment will be particularly relevant as further detail emerges on how the Government intends to deliver its wider social care reform agenda.
However, key questions remain unanswered, such as the emphasis remaining heavily focused on care in later life, with social care primarily framed around older people.
VODG will continue engaging with the Government and Casey Commission’s policy development process to ensure many of the existing challenges are considered.