Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Social Care Sector: Pay and Conditions

Tuesday 13 April 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Labour MPs raised concerns about low pay and poor working conditions in the social care sector.
  • The Minister acknowledged the high number of care workers who have died during the pandemic.
  • The Minister stated that the Government wants care providers to reward and support their staff appropriately.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jon Trickett Lab Normanton and Hemsworth
Social Care Employment
Context

MP highlighted concerns about low salaries and the impact of privatisation on social care staff. Cited figures showing average salary at £17,200.

Question

What steps he is taking to increase pay and improve working conditions in the social care sector. First I imagine the whole House will join me in mourning the 364 care workers who have died in public service since covid began. Many care workers have told me that they feel undervalued by the fact that their average salary is only £17,200. They particularly feel devalued when they discover that the Government are paying nine times that salary equivalent to Test and Trace consultants. It is an outrage. Will the Minister now say how she will show that these people are valued by doing three things: first end privatisation; secondly insist on a proper salary rise; thirdly ensure that a professional career structure is instituted which recognises and rewards the professionalism talent and commitment of these essential workers?

Answer from Helen Whately

We recognise the extraordinary commitment and compassion of social care staff especially during the pandemic. While the Government do not have direct responsibility for pay in adult social care in England we want care providers to reward and support their staff appropriately for the vital work they do. During the pandemic we have asked care providers to pay staff full pay when they need to self-isolate and provided over £1.4 billion of extra funding to support the cost of this and other infection control measures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Ending privatisation, ensuring proper salary rises, and instituting a professional career structure for social care staff

How: While The Government Do Not Have Direct Responsibility For Pay In Adult Social Care In England

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Q2 Jon Trickett Lab Normanton and Hemsworth
Care & Healthcare Workers Social Care
Context

MP highlighted concerns about low salaries and the impact of privatisation on social care staff. Cited figures showing average salary at £17,200.

Question

First I imagine the whole House will join me in mourning the 364 care workers who have died in public service since covid began. Many care workers have told me that they feel undervalued by the fact that their average salary is only £17,200. They particularly feel devalued when they discover that the Government are paying nine times that salary equivalent to Test and Trace consultants. It is an outrage. Will the Minister now say how she will show that these people are valued by doing three things: first end privatisation; secondly insist on a proper salary rise; thirdly ensure that a professional career structure is instituted which recognises and rewards the professionalism talent and commitment of these essential workers?

Answer from Helen Whately

I share the hon. Gentleman's sorrow for the lives that have been lost among the health and social care workforce during the pandemic. I am determined that we will support and continue to support our health and social care workforce through these difficult times. One of the things that I want to achieve for our social care workforce, for whom I am truly ambitious, is that rather than doing something one-off for the pandemic we should come up with a workforce strategy that will improve the opportunities for those working in social care to develop their careers with a real career progression in working in that sector. That will be part of our social care reform proposals.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Ending privatisation, ensuring proper salary rises, and instituting a professional career structure for social care staff

How: One Of The Things That I Want To Achieve For Our Social Care Workforce Is That Rather Than Doing Something One-Off For The Pandemic We Should Come Up With A Workforce Strategy

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Q3 Liz Kendall Lab Leicester West
Care & Healthcare Workers Social Care
Context

MP criticised low salaries and lack of improvements despite repeated promises. Cited Morrisons shelf-stacking salary comparison.

Question

Despite repeated promises the truth is that someone would be better off stacking shelves at Morrisons than caring for older or disabled people and that is simply not good enough for our country. Can the Minister confirm that the Government's covid infection control fund had to be used to improve pay so that staff did not have to work for more than one care home and could actually afford to self-isolate? If that is the case will she commit to permanently enshrining these improvements across the sector to keep all care users and all care workers safe?

Answer from Helen Whately

In response to the hon. Lady's question about the use of the infection control fund it was available to providers to use in a range of ways to keep their residents safe from covid including for instance reducing the movement of staff between one care home and another which is often part of the service model of how care is provided and also as I mentioned earlier funding full sick pay for staff who needed to self-isolate because of covid. I am determined that as part of our social care reforms that we will be bringing forward we will look at how best we can support the workforce.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to permanently enshrining improvements across the sector

How: We Will Look At How Best We Can Support The Workforce

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