Thank you for contacting me about the social care workforce.
I recognise the urgency of the Care About Care campaign, calling on the Government to reform social care, provide sustainable funding and to commit to a long-term workforce strategy.
It is crucially important that our social care sector has the workforce that it needs to deliver care to the growing number of people who need support in our communities.
With the Government proposing to end international recruitment into social care, Ministers must set out clearly how it will make the social care sector more attractive to British workers and expand the domestically trained workforce.
Through the Employment Rights Act, the Government has committed to establishing a Social Care Negotiating Body. I understand the desire to improve pay and conditions for social care workers, but as you have noted, independent organisations such as the Health Foundation have raised the concerns about the adequacy of Government funding for a Fair Pay Agreement.
In the short term, the rise in Employer National Insurance Contributions and the National Living Wage has had a substantial impact on social care providers. Despite these concerns, the Government has consistently rejected exempting social care providers from these additional financial pressures that will affect their ability to recruit and retain staff.
During this Parliament, I am hopeful that all MPs can work together to build consensus on funding reform, so that we can work to ensure the social care system meets the challenges of the 21st century.
Whilst the Opposition stands ready to participate in cross-party discussions on the future of adult social care, the Government has failed to deliver on this commitment so far. It is concerning that the Independent Commission on Social Care will not be proposing longer-term reforms until 2028. It is important that the Government accelerates this timescale and bring forward the end of the Commission’s work.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
