Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Recommendation 54
54
Rejected
Ensure Fair Cost of Care calculations pay social care workers Band 3 NHS rates.
Recommendation
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
Government Response 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.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
We have combined our responses to recommendation 52 and recommendation 54. We are incredibly proud of our health and social care workers. However, we disagree with recommendation 54. Unlike in the NHS, care worker pay is the responsibility of independent care employers, who will consider local market conditions when agreeing fee rates with local authorities. We also reject recommendation 52. Whilst social care staff may be employed by NHS trusts or organisations, NHSE itself does not directly employ an adult social care workforce or directly commission care delivery from this sector. Integrated Commissioning Boards (ICB) may directly employ social care staff to deliver care and define the terms of employment. In the main ICBs would commission sustainable care under contract with a social care provider. The ICB would work with the individual in receipt of Continuing Healthcare and the commissioned Provider to ensure the care needs could be met as to the care and support plan and within the terms and conditions of the contract. There is a further method of commissioning an ICB may use and that is a Personal Health Budget (PHB). In this situation the individual in receipt of the PHB would either employ a personal assistant directly and would need to consider the terms of employment or commission a social care provider.