Recruitment crisis in social care blatantly because appalling pay
Recruitment crisis in social care blatantly because of appalling pay
GMB, the union for social care workers, says new recruitment gimmicks and ploys are entirely pointless unless pay in the sector is sorted as the number one priority.
The warning comes as a survey by Join Social Care shows three quarters of care providers (71.9%) say recruitment has become “harder as lockdown has eased”.
A separate survey by the United Kingdom Homecare Association shows more than 90% per cent agree recruitment is harder now than before covid, or the hardest it has ever been.
Care workers have made incredible sacrifices throughout covid. £15 is the average hourly salary in the UK. Our skilled care workers deserve no less.
Kelly Andrews, GMB Social Care Lead
More than two-thirds said more care workers are leaving their roles than before the pandemic, or more often than they could ever remember.
The union has opposed regulations forcing vaccinations for workers in care homes, which the Government’s own estimates suggest could cause more than 70,000 workers to lose their jobs.
GMB believes the best way to ensure social care providers can recruit and retain workers is by paying our social care workers a decent wage for the skilled job they do – at least £15 per hour .
Kelly Andrews, GMB Social Care Lead said:
“It’s not rocket science. The reason there’s a recruitment crisis in social care is blatantly because of the appalling levels of pay in the sector not because of the lack of any new recruitment gimmicks.
“Care workers have made incredible sacrifices throughout covid. The highly skilled work that those in care do every day has never been properly valued by employers or the political establishment. But it can’t go on we can’t have more delays or excuses.
“£15 is the average hourly salary in the UK. Our skilled care workers deserve no less.
“It’s pretty obvious what needs to happen. Government needs to properly fund social care and them and providers need to pay up and ensure any money goes as a priority to where it is needed – the workforce.”
