Over many months VODG, along with colleagues across the Care Provdier Alliance, have been working with the Department of Health and Social Care, Unions, local government and other stakeholders to try and inform work around the government's FPA for adult social care. Our representations have been informed by members of our FPA and Employment Rights Sounding Board. We have also engaged with others across the sector, including Deaf and Disbaled People led Organisations (DDPOs) and the Disability Poverty Campaign Group, to broaden discussions and encouarge responses to the consultation.
- We continue to support the ambition of a fair pay agreement that values the important contribution made by the care workforce.
- We have asked questions around the scope of the FPA and the further work needed to fully understand the impact on those that fall in and out of final arrangements;
- the role of commissioning and the importance of funding to make this a reality; and
- enforcement of the FPA when VODG member organisations are almost wholly reliant on public sector contracts to pay for the full costs of provision.
In our response to the consultation we raise the above along with our thoughts on the negotiating body, emphasising the need for this to be proportionately representative of the breadth of the Adult Social Care Sector, including self funders, shared lives, regulated and non-regulated support.
The Easy Read version of the consultation remains open until the 6th March 2026 and we encouarge those who have not already responded, to do so. We are very happy to share a copy of our response with members and those within our networks, where helpful. Do get in touch for a copy or with any queries relating to our ongoing work in this area.