Response To Baroness Kingsmill’s Report Into Working Conditions In The Care Sector

Media reports suggest Baroness Kingsmill’s report into working conditions in the care sector will say exploitation of care workers is leaving older people at risk.

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive at Independent Age said:

“Baroness Kingsmill’s report is expected to highlight once again how severe and damaging the crisis in care funding has become, not least for older people in residential and nursing care. Whilst we welcome recent attempts to professionalise the social care workforce, these have tended to focus on social workers and not care workers or care assistants. Ultimately we have to ask ourselves whether as a society we are comfortable with seeing some of the most important professionals we and our family members will ever need to rely on getting paid a £6.31 an hour, if that.  We believe that low pay and zero hours contracts in adult social care are symptomatic of a care system that is in crisis.  With low wages, high staff turnover and lack of training we can barely be shocked by the toxic conditions Baroness Kingsmill will highlight in her review today”.