Care England Highlights “Chronic Underfunding” at Care Workforce Pathway Consolation
Care England has submitted evidence to the Department of Health and Social Care’s consultation on the Care Workforce Pathway which sets out the skills, knowledge and behaviours that people working in adult social care need to deliver high-quality, personalised, compassionate care and support.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, says: “Care England believes that the Care Workforce Pathway has the capacity to be an opportunity for the sector by formalising career structures and pathways which play a key role in attracting and keeping people in adult social care roles. We hope this is the first step to imposing a new reality as an increasing cohort of individuals receiving adult social care services have been supported through a decreasing government funding pot. Most recently, the Department has reduced the funding allocated for the workforce as part of People at the Heart of Care White Paper. The adult social care workforce needs to be seen for what it is; an exciting, challenging, professional career and we have to ensure that staff are remunerated accordingly. But action is required from the centre and this action is required now.”
The Department of Health and Social Care issued a call for evidence which sought views on the pathway, including what it should include, how it should be set out and how we can support people working in care, and social care employers, to use it, so that care workers can develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours to become experts in their field or progress into new roles. This call for evidence closed today, 31 May 2023.
Care England outlined the following in the call for evidence response:
• Despite the positives of the pathway, they will inevitably be overlooked if appropriate funding to increase care worker pay is not addressed.
• If there are to be costs associated with implementing the pathway, uptake across the sector may present a challenge and the success may be limited.
• The pathway presents a linear progression opportunity that may not suit all those within the sector.
• The introduction of unfunded training will only further cripple the sector, especially in light on historic underfunding.
Martin Green continues: “Chronic underfunding of the adult social care sector remains the root cause of the pressures facing the social care sector. Whilst the workforce is our most valuable asset, building a skilled workforce to meet the increasing needs of an ageing population simply will not happen without Government funding to appropriately remunerate the workforce. Despite the positives the Care Workforce Pathway looks to offer, they will inevitably be overlooked by those inside and outside the sector if appropriate funding to increase care worker pay is not addressed. Naturally, recognition and status are valuable, but these alone will not remedy the workforce crisis, particularly in light of the ongoing cost of living crisis. Care England has repeatedly asked for a fully funded workforce pathway, which will go some way to remedy some of the workforce issues facing the sector currently. Care England calls for the Government to take this into consideration and implement a fully funded workforce plan.”
