CWU welcomes the new Labour Government’s ambitious plans to undertake transformational reforms to create a National Care Service. We look forward to working collaboratively with other stakeholders in the sector, as we continue to represent the interests of our membership.
Working in the adult care sector should be a career to be proud of, where all employees feel valued and respected. Indeed, care workers are central to the Government’s operating principle of “home first” supporting people to live independently for as long as possible. Ensuring high quality and sustainable care, requires a high quality and motived workforce. Therefore, fairer pay is a priority, and we would expect to see Government following through on its promise to ensure those working within the sector gain a living wage. It is also important to tackle terms and conditions of employment and the behaviour of employers in honouring contractual obligations. Like others, we are concerned by the increasing levels of discrimination and exploitation within the sector. We also welcome ambitions towards professionalisation of care workers, through training and other opportunities for skills development. Care workers should feel confident in carrying out their duties, to avoid placing themselves and already vulnerable users at risk. We know that in some cases regulatory measures are ignored as short cuts are taken by employers, prioritising profit over personnel and users. Better oversight from regulators will be essential to ensuring greater compliance. Innovations should include guidance and protection for Whistleblowers within the sector, as part of an overall effort to strengthen monitoring, oversight and accountability.
The CWU supports Government’s efforts to build consensus, through partnerships and collective action, working with employers, employees, trade unions, families and local and national government. We will be seeking opportunities to inform policy development and implementation to improve service delivery, in responding to some of the major challenges ahead, such as the best way to deliver support to an aging population. Understanding real world experiences is key in this respect and we continue to support our members working on the front line.
Care Workers Union
