[UK] Fair pay agreements could exclude council and NHS adult social care staff

In England, council and NHS adult social care staff, including social workers, may be excluded from the government’s planned fair pay agreements for the sector, Community Care reports.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), it is considering whether the planned agreements should be focused just on the remainder of the workforce, who make up the vast majority and mostly work in the private sector, because they are not currently covered by national pay deals, unlike NHS and local government counterparts.

A consultation on implementing the policy was launched last week, which said this may be preferable since resources available for implementing the agreements would be limited.

However, it also said that including all employed adult social care staff within the agreements could support the unification of the workforce and the standardisation of training.

This issue is reportedly one of a number that the DHSC is seeking views on through the consultation. Others include how the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body, which will determine the agreements, with ministerial sign-off, should be constituted and supported, and how to resolve disputes.

The consultation was launched together with the DHSC’s announcement that £500m of its funding for councils in 2028-29 will be earmarked for implementing the first fair pay agreement, due to cover that year. Social care leaders have widely criticised this sum as inadequate.

Source: Community Care

In England, council and NHS adult social care staff, including social workers, may be excluded from the government’s planned fair pay agreements for the sector, Community Care reports.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), it is considering whether the planned agreements should be focused just on the remainder of the workforce, who make up the vast majority and mostly work in the private sector, because they are not currently covered by national pay deals, unlike NHS and local government counterparts.

A consultation on implementing the policy was launched last week, which said this may be preferable since resources available for implementing the agreements would be limited.

However, it also said that including all employed adult social care staff within the agreements could support the unification of the workforce and the standardisation of training.

This issue is reportedly one of a number that the DHSC is seeking views on through the consultation. Others include how the Adult Social Care Negotiating Body, which will determine the agreements, with ministerial sign-off, should be constituted and supported, and how to resolve disputes.

The consultation was launched together with the DHSC’s announcement that £500m of its funding for councils in 2028-29 will be earmarked for implementing the first fair pay agreement, due to cover that year. Social care leaders have widely criticised this sum as inadequate.

Source: Community Care