Wales leads UK with Social Care Workforce Partnership to improve conditions for care staff

Wales establishes the UK's first Social Care Workforce Partnership to unite government, employers, and trade unions in improving working conditions for social care staff.
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Wales has become the first country in the UK to establish a Social Care Workforce Partnership, bringing together Government, employers, and trade unions to enhance working conditions in the social care sector. The partnership aims to create a fairer and more supportive work environment for social care staff by fostering collaboration and mutual learning.

The group, which has already engaged with care providers and workers to identify priorities, will initially focus on improving health and safety at work, protecting staff from violence, and establishing agreements between employers and unions to streamline procedures for organisational changes and employee rights. Participation in the partnership is voluntary, with employers encouraged to adopt agreed models to ensure consistency across the sector.

This initiative builds on efforts dating back to 2020 when Wales launched the Social Care Fair Work Forum to enhance pay and conditions for care workers, including introducing the Real Living Wage in 2022.

Dawn Bowden, Minister for Children and Social Care, said: “Wales is leading the way with our Government, employers and trade unions working together for the benefit of the social care sector. Care staff throughout Wales work tirelessly and show their commitment every day to support the people they look after. This is a promising step towards creating a fairer and more supportive work environment for them. We know the sector faces challenges but working together we can develop positive change, make a difference to the social care workforce and the people who rely on social care services in Wales.”

Mark Turner, lead for social care at UNISON Cymru Wales, emphasised the potential for transformational change, stating: “The creation of the Social Care Workforce Partnership has the potential to overhaul much more than basic pay rates, because it’s a voluntary form of collective bargaining. This means that care workers have a voice through trades unions, and unions can negotiate sector-wide agreements which we hope will improve the working lives of tens of thousands of care workers in every corner of Wales.”

The National Provider Forum echoed these sentiments, highlighting the importance of collaboration: “Social care providers know first-hand how important the workforce is to improving people’s lives and we are committed to working in partnership with government and the trade unions to improve recognition, reward and working conditions.”

Ryan Fowler

Ryan Fowler is Publisher of Workplace Journal

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