Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have, if any, to
reduce their £500 million investment in the social care
workforce; and when they will publish their strategy for
increasing the size of that workforce.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health
and Social Care () (Con)
The Department of Health and Social Care will shortly publish a
two-year plan for how it will reform the adult social care
system. That publication will confirm the Government’s commitment
to the 10-year vision set out in the People at the Heart of
CareWhite Paper. It will provide specific detail on how we will
implement workforce proposals, including funding activity and
milestones.
(Lab)
I thank the Minister for that Answer, but note that he has not
assured me about the proposed or rumoured cuts to the current
investment in the social care workforce. As he knows, these
rumours have caused great distress to those trying to provide
decent care to some of the most vulnerable in our society,
against the background of a 13% vacancy rate—so one in eight
posts is vacant—with subsequent difficulties in recruitment and
retention. The money that has been promised seems very slow in
reaching the front line, according to local authorities and carer
organisations.
I am very glad to know that we are going to see the plan for the
social care workforce; we have waited for it a long time. When we
finally see it, which I hope will be before the House rises for
the Easter Recess, will it ensure that those who work in social
care are properly recognised, rewarded and trained so that, at
last, their status is comparable with those who work in the
NHS?
(Con)
I apologise because, in some ways, the timing is slightly
unfortunate with the report coming out before the Recess, as is
my understanding. I am not allowed to steal much of Minister
Whateley’s thunder on that, but I will answer as best as I can. I
hope that noble Lords will be pleased that questions around
training, recognition of the importance of the service and career
structure are all addressed in the report.
(DUP)
My Lords, in my experience, many families in need of social care
for members of their families find themselves in a form of
postcode lottery, where the quality and quantity of social care
that they receive is very much dependent on the local
availability of social care workers. What further steps are the
Government taking to try to ensure consistency of social care
provision for people throughout the country?
(Con)
The noble Lord is correct, in that this is pivotal to the whole
health service and to health and well-being. It is very much the
duty of the integrated care boards, and our Ministers are
personally holding them to account on this. I have frequent
meetings on seven integrated care boards, and this is very much
on the agenda. The other six Ministers have 42 in total, seven
each, so that we can make sure we hold them to account.
(LD)
My Lords, the Minister has repeatedly agreed on the need for
increased social care funding when replying to questions in
debates. His party set out an ambitious plan for making such an
investment in the Government’s Build Back Better strategy of
September 2021. How have social care needs changed since then,
such that the Government now seem comfortable to cut hundreds of
millions from the commitments that they made less than 18 months
ago? Does he think that we no longer need more supported housing
or better digital services, two of the areas that the reports
tell us are facing cuts?
(Con)
I do not recognise “cuts” in this context. Noble Lords are aware
that we have committed to a £7.5 billion increase over the next
two years, which amounts to about a 20% increase. We will see
record investment and provision in this area.
The
My Lords, the report by the Archbishops’ Commission on
Reimagining Care was published in January. I am sure that the
Minister is aware of this: in fact, I know that he is having a
meeting later today with the right reverend Prelate the , who co-chaired that
commission. We argue for a very bold approach to social care,
which puts at its heart the concept of a care covenant, with
clear expectations on each of us of what we should give and
expect in return, recognising that each of us is a carer and that
most of us will need care one day.
I speak as someone representing a region. In the cities of Hull
and Middlesbrough, which I serve, I see many people in need of
care and not receiving it; I discover that recruitment and
retention are appalling; and I find care workers having to use
food banks so that they can feed their families. It gives me no
pleasure to say that we are in a very distressing situation.
I realise that the Minister is not in a position where he can say
much but, surely, at the heart of this, as the noble Baroness
said, it is about valuing the care worker in the same way that we
value others. Can he give us an assurance that this will be at
the heart of what is proposed?
(Con)
Absolutely. I speak as an ex-carer myself. Caring is part of
everyone’s role, as has been quite rightly written about. Part of
this is about the people we are employing. I am glad to say that
we are managing to increase recruitment, which is not easy in the
age of full employment. It is about the parts that you and I—all
of us—can play in care in the community, and organising
domiciliary care so that we can have a full wraparound
service.
(Lab)
My Lords, on seeking to increase the size of the workforce, could
the Minister give an indication of whether there will be more
overseas workers? They have made such an important contribution
in the past but have run down in numbers latterly, yet people
want to see more coming from overseas.
(Con)
Yes, and I am delighted to say that it is working. We will have
granted 57,000 visas towards that in the last year, which is a
big increase on previous years. It is fundamental, and a fine
tradition of our health and social care services, that we can use
overseas workers.
(Con)
My Lords, when you have very rapid turnover of staff and a high
level of resignations, it is not always the staff who need
training but the managers. As we make people more valued among
the staff, will we ensure that managers learn how to do that and
that training goes to all levels of the care-working
profession?
(Con)
My noble friend makes a very good point. I am aware that some
homes have half the turnover rate of staff than others, clearly
demonstrating much better levels of management and skills. I
agree, and that will be part of the training.
(Con)
Following the question from the noble Lord opposite about
recruitment from overseas, I thank the Government for
acknowledging that we will need immigration to fill some of the
skills gaps. An issue that has been raised a number of times in
this House is visas for social care personal assistants. Can my
noble friend the Minister update us on whether visas are being
issued for this category of workers?
(Con)
We recognise the contribution that overseas workers can make
here, as demonstrated by the 57,000 visas. I will need to come
back to my noble friend in writing with details on his precise
point on personal assistants.
(Lab)
My Lords, on recruitment and retention, the Minister will be
aware that the majority of care workers earn less than £10 an
hour. Can he tell us when the majority of care workers will earn
a real living wage?
(Con)
My understanding—I am doing this partially from memory so I will
correct it if need be—is that the national living wage will come
in shortly, in April. Care workers are paid that. I believe it is
over £10, but I will confirm that.
(CB)
Further to a number of questions, I point out that the Minister
talks about the recognition of the need for overseas workers to
plug the gap at the moment, but where is the government strategy
to focus on the growing number of British people who are trapped
outside the labour market and need further support? This care
profession, with appropriate levels of remuneration and support,
could be a way to get more people off inactive benefits and into
the workforce.
(Con)
I was very pleased, as I hope other noble Lords were, that the
centrepiece of the Budget just last week was the need to get more
people into the workforce. The health department clearly plays a
key part in that with mid-life health MoTs to help and support
people getting back into work, including things such as
physiotherapy, which we mentioned just now, to give them the
strength and confidence to go back to work.
