UK public-sector workers on COVID-19 frontline to get pay rises – Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) – Almost one million public-sector workers in Britain are to be given above-inflation pay rises, the government said on Tuesday, to reflect their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Source: UK public-sector workers on COVID-19 frontline to get pay rises – Reuters

 

Benefit changes are driving demand for NHS mental health services

Unfortunately vulnerable person who have care and nursing needs are certainly being hit by benefit changes causing “substantial care deficit resulting from the impact of growing social and economic hardship”.

But on top of that the Service Providers who undertake to provide care workers to administer the care required to these vulnerable people are short of the Care Workers to perform this care. Workers are unwilling to come into the Care Industry in the numbers required due to the abysmal pay they will receive, especially when taking into account the responsibilities they have to take on in their duties of care.

Most of these Care providers are funded by either Local Authorities directly or the local authorities fund the persons in need of care so they can instruct a provider to provide staff or they employ their own carers by receiving Direct Payments from Local authorities or if funded by health they will be funded by Personal Health Budgets.

While health have been receiving some increase in payments from the Government, but in no way of sufficient proportions, this is not so for Local Authorities who have been subjected to cuts based on austerity measures implemented by the Government of at least a cut of 60% and even more.

So while there is a health crisis, there is also a Social Care crisis of even greater proportions, which could, if the austerity measures are not reversed see a dismantling of Social Care by providers handing bach Council contract due to these providers having deficiency of staff to fulfil these contracts. Many Service Providers are seriously considering if they can even remain in the industry.

Urgently the Government need to take this on board and seriously undertake to fully fund all aspects of Social Care, for if they fail to do so the decimation of Social Care will have a direct impact on health services, making a the crisis in health even more of a crisis, resulting not only a complete breakdown of Soc ial Care, but also of the health service.

If you think it is bad now just you wait and see.

It is because of the above that a petition has been created and I therefore wish you to consider supporting and promoting in any areas at your disposal the Petition – Pay all employed carers the Living Wage

Flash, (Families Lobbying & Advising Sheffield), a group of family carers of relatives with Learning Disabilities and/or Autism in Sheffield are concerned at the state of Social Care, not only in Sheffield, but throughout the UK.

We all know that there is a major crisis in Social Care not just in Sheffield, but all over the UK. This is in a large part due to the lack of persons willing to come into the Care Industry, of which the low pay is a prime factor.

Parliament are aware and have formed a Cross Party Committee to look at funding, recruitment and pay for Care Workers in the Care Industry.

The Government currently have a recruitment campaign for the Care Industry ‘Every Day is Different’ https://carervoice.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/new-campaign-to-recruit-thousands-more-adult-social-care-staff-gov-uk/comment-page-1/#comment-57 .

However, there is no mention of pay.

Please therefore, could you consider the following

#pay #employed #wage #funding #government #serviceproviders #living

Could you look at signing and promoting the Petition – ‘Pay all employed carers the Living Wage, created by FLASh (Families Lobbying & Advising Sheffield).

Petition link https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/236151

Please sign this Petition, however, until you then click the signature verification link in the resulting email your signature will not be valid and will therefore not count re supporting the Petition cause.

More information https://1drv.ms/w/s!Aq2MsYduiazglWxA60JAY_2cpvN8

We need this Tory Government to end Austerity Cuts to Local Authorities and then increase the Grants to these Authorities so they can fund Care Service Providers to be able to pay their care workers at least the Living Wage.

Please also see the HFT report ‘Sector Pulse Check’, https://1drv.ms/w/s!Aq2MsYduiazglXuM7Duz6HOYXvsv

If the Petition attains 10,000 signatures, the Government will respond and if 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

Please support and share with your work colleagues, family & friends, Social Media, MP and Local Councillors.

For any further information Chris can be contacted on carervoice@gmail.com

Thank you

Chris Sterry
Vice-chair of FLASh