SUPPLY PROBLEMS CONTINUED ..

With perfect timing, given our thoughts on recruitment last week, this week Skills for Care have published an excellent report into the problems facing the industry

(The State of the Adult Social Care Sector in England -

https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/.../This-year%27s-%27The...

Highlights from the report paint a grim picture:-

~ Sickness doubled during the year, perhaps because of Covid

~ Care home occupancy down to 76% from 84%

~ There is increasing demand for home care

~ Jobs in the home care sector increased by 40,000

~ Average pay is a measly £9.01 per hour

~ 21% of providers pay minimum wage

~ There are now more vacancies than before Covid - the rate is now 8.2%

One striking statistic from the report was that Kitchen Assistants earned 53p less per hour in 2012 - they now earn just 29p less and yet, sales staff in 2012 earned 13p per hour less but now earn 21p per hour MORE!

What sort of society values key workers who provide highly skilled and highly trained support for vulnerable people, less than sales assistants.

Let’s move now to better pay and conditions for home care staff.