Social care workers are calling on Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes to use her Scottish budget statement today (Thursday) to end the staff shortage crisis in social care.
UNISON’s Social Care Staff Shortage Survey has highlighted big problems in the sector: 97% of respondents said that their workplace was currently experiencing a shortage of staff and 90% said that they were concerned about the safety of colleagues and service users.
35% of respondents also said they were considering leaving or actively trying to leave the sector in the coming months and 53% told UNISON that they urgently need some time off.
UNISON is calling on Scottish Finance Secretary Kate Forbes to introduce incentives to attract more people to work in the sector and encourage social care workers to stay.
UNISON Scotland’s head of social care, John Mooney said: “Social care staff are leaving the sector, or people are not applying in the first place, because of the demands on the workforce, the low wages and lack of respect they receive. The Scottish Government must take this opportunity to fix the staffing crisis across social care. The issues facing social care this winter cannot wait for the introduction of a National Care Service which is years away. Social care needs funding now to tackle the staffing crisis.”
“5,000 UNISON members signed a petition calling for the introduction of a £2,000 welcome payment for new workers, a £2,000 loyalty payment to those currently working in the sector, an unsocial hours allowance, a night shift allowance, and payment of all professional registration fees for social care staff. We must start to attract and retain more workers into social care.”
Notes
UNISON is the trade union representing social care workers and we are the largest trade union in Scotland.
UNISON is calling for:
1. A £2,000 welcome payment to all those applying to jobs in the sector.
2. A £2,000 loyalty payment to all those currently working in the sector.
3. To negotiate with UNISON on introducing a sector wide unsocial hours allowance.
4. To negotiate with UNISON on introducing a sector wide night shift allowance.
5. Payment of all professional registration fees for staff working in social care.
See our petition here
Contact:
John Mooney, head of social care: 07976 701823
Danny Phillips, communications officer: 07944 664110