Recommendations & Conclusions
11 items
3
Recommendation
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
The Government’s current target of recruiting 50,000 NHS nurses is not having any meaningful impact on the true scale of nursing shortages. The Government must introduce a new bursary scheme comprising full coverage of tuition fees, a non-means- tested grant of at least £1,000, and a means-tested bursary. In addition, …
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The Government’s current target of recruiting 50,000 NHS nurses is not having any meaningful impact on the true scale of nursing shortages. The Government must introduce a new bursary scheme comprising full coverage of tuition fees, a non-means- tested grant of at least £1,000, and a means-tested bursary. In addition, nursing and midwifery students who take up this bursary should be guaranteed, where possible, at least 3 years of work in the NHS Trust in which they trained, to eliminate the need for them to seek agency work after graduation.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects introducing a new bursary scheme and guaranteed NHS work, stating it is committed to delivering 50,000 more nurses through existing training investments, diversification, recruitment, and retention, noting a non-repayable training grant of £5,000 exists for eligible students.
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Department of Health and Social Care
35
Recommendation
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
The Department of Health and Social Care must commit to reviewing the process by which student clinical placement tariffs are set to establish why there is such a large difference between medical and non-medical clinical student tariffs. This review should be completed with the goal of understanding how tariff money …
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The Department of Health and Social Care must commit to reviewing the process by which student clinical placement tariffs are set to establish why there is such a large difference between medical and non-medical clinical student tariffs. This review should be completed with the goal of understanding how tariff money is spent and establishing a transparent evidence base on which to inform decisions about how tariff rates will be set and how tariff money will be spent in the future.
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Government response AI summary
The government does not agree to review the process by which student clinical placement tariffs are set, and instead focuses on its efforts to deliver 50,000 more nurses through investment and diversification of the training pipeline.
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Department of Health and Social Care
52
Conclusion
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
NHS England employs 104,000 people in adult social care jobs. NHS England must undertake a review of pay in their social care jobs. In the review, NHS health and social care roles must be compared based on the skills, competencies, and levels of responsibility shown in various roles in each …
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NHS England employs 104,000 people in adult social care jobs. NHS England must undertake a review of pay in their social care jobs. In the review, NHS health and social care roles must be compared based on the skills, competencies, and levels of responsibility shown in various roles in each sector to ensure that social care roles are being paid fairly.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation for NHS England to review pay in social care jobs, stating that NHS England does not directly employ an adult social care workforce and that care worker pay is the responsibility of independent care employers.
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Department of Health and Social Care
53
Recommendation
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
We reiterate the recommendation made in our ‘Social care: funding and workforce’ report that annual funding for social care should be increased by £7 billion by 2023–24. This will account for demographic changes, uplift staff pay in line with National Minimum Wage and protect people who face catastrophic social care …
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We reiterate the recommendation made in our ‘Social care: funding and workforce’ report that annual funding for social care should be increased by £7 billion by 2023–24. This will account for demographic changes, uplift staff pay in line with National Minimum Wage and protect people who face catastrophic social care costs.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation for a £7 billion annual increase in social care funding by 2023-24, instead committing up to £2.8 billion in 23-24 and £4.7 billion in 24-25, which it states is the largest increase in history.
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Department of Health and Social Care
54
Recommendation
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
We welcome the Fair Cost of Care exercises as an opportunity to address the underfunding of the social care sector. However, these exercises must not be used as an excuse to reinforce the low pay which is endemic in the sector. The Government must ensure that the cost of care …
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We welcome the Fair Cost of Care exercises as an opportunity to address the underfunding of the social care sector. However, these exercises must not be used as an excuse to reinforce the low pay which is endemic in the sector. The Government must ensure that the cost of care is calculated on the basis of paying care workers the same rate as equivalent NHS roles: Band 3 on Agenda for Change. (Paragraph 186) Continuity of care
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with calculating the cost of care based on paying care workers the same rate as equivalent NHS roles (Band 3 Agenda for Change), stating that care worker pay is the responsibility of independent care employers who consider local market conditions.
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Department of Health and Social Care
62
Conclusion
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
The practice of “by-the-minute” commissioning is having a devastating impact on the continuity of care offered to service users and the terms and conditions under which workers must provide care. The reality is that some care is commissioned in this way because social care is chronically underfunded by central Government. …
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The practice of “by-the-minute” commissioning is having a devastating impact on the continuity of care offered to service users and the terms and conditions under which workers must provide care. The reality is that some care is commissioned in this way because social care is chronically underfunded by central Government. It is within the Government’s gift to remedy this situation by providing adequate funding to the social care sector.
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Government response AI summary
The government explicitly disagrees with the conclusion that social care is chronically underfunded, citing sustained government investment and increased spending by local authorities.
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Department of Health and Social Care
63
Recommendation
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
The Government must commit to providing sufficient funding for the social care sector so that Local Authorities and private providers are able to end the practice of “by- the-minute” commissioning of homecare. Local Authorities and private providers in turn must commit to paying workers in advance to provide care that …
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The Government must commit to providing sufficient funding for the social care sector so that Local Authorities and private providers are able to end the practice of “by- the-minute” commissioning of homecare. Local Authorities and private providers in turn must commit to paying workers in advance to provide care that is both relational and task-based and is focused on achieving outcomes. This will improve the quality and continuity of care offered to service users as well as terms and conditions for care workers.
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the recommendation, stating it has already provided sufficient funding for local authorities to meet their duties in the social care sector.
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Department of Health and Social Care
64
Conclusion
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
It is completely unacceptable that the practice of not paying for travel time means that some domiciliary care workers are effectively working for less than the minimum or living wage. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, with the support of HMRC must re-examine sector-specific guidance to address complexities …
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It is completely unacceptable that the practice of not paying for travel time means that some domiciliary care workers are effectively working for less than the minimum or living wage. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, with the support of HMRC must re-examine sector-specific guidance to address complexities in national minimum wage and national living wage guidance for the care sector, and reissue new, clarified guidance to employers and employees. The HMRC National Minimum Wage / National Living Wage enforcement body must be proactive in ensuring that all domiciliary care workers are receiving at least the minimum wage or living wage for all the time they spend working, including time spent travelling to appointments. (Paragraph 212) 66 Workforce: recruitment, training and retention in health and social care
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees that new guidance is required on travel time, stating that current legislation already entitles social care workers to be paid for time spent travelling between appointments and that HMRC proactively enforces minimum wage compliance.
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Department of Health and Social Care
65
Conclusion
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
New regulations should be introduced by 2023 in which care workers initially employed on zero-hours contracts must be offered a choice of contract after three months of employment. The new regulations should state that domiciliary care workers must be paid for their time spent travelling between appointments, and that time …
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New regulations should be introduced by 2023 in which care workers initially employed on zero-hours contracts must be offered a choice of contract after three months of employment. The new regulations should state that domiciliary care workers must be paid for their time spent travelling between appointments, and that time allocated for travel and care must be clearly set out in the contracts of domiciliary care workers. (Paragraph 213) Recruitment in Social Care
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the recommendation for new regulations on zero-hours contracts, supporting a range of contract types and noting a commitment to introduce a right to request a more predictable contract, while also stating existing minimum wage legislation covers travel time.
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Department of Health and Social Care
68
Recommendation
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
Local providers are best suited to understand the recruitment challenges in their local areas. The Government must pass recruitment and retention funds directly to providers to be invested in local recruitment campaigns.
Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the recommendation to pass funds directly to providers, stating that local health and care systems are better placed to determine how to use workforce funds, which are already provided to local systems.
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Department of Health and Social Care
70
Recommendation
Third Report - Workforce: recruitment, …
Rejected
International recruitment is too expensive for some social care providers. The Government should consider helping by waiving the cost of sponsorship certificates and licenses, including the immigration skills charge, for care workers and their sponsors, for two years, and other similar measures.
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International recruitment is too expensive for some social care providers. The Government should consider helping by waiving the cost of sponsorship certificates and licenses, including the immigration skills charge, for care workers and their sponsors, for two years, and other similar measures.
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Government response AI summary
The government rejected the recommendation to waive the cost of sponsorship certificates and licenses for care workers, deeming it unreasonable. They noted positive responses to current inclusion on the Shortage Occupation List and announced a £15 million support fund to help reduce recruitment costs and …
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Department of Health and Social Care