Last Updated on October 12, 2022
New analysis published by the Health Foundation reveals that staff working in care homes are far more likely to live in poverty and deprivation than the average UK worker.
According to the Health Foundation, even before the cost-of-living crisis hit, one in five residential care workers in the UK was living in poverty, compared to one in eight of all workers. Many relied on state support to make up for low income from employment – 20% of the residential care workforce drew on universal credit and legacy benefits from 2017 to 2020, compared to 10% of all workers.
The report by the independent charity also finds that around one in ten residential care workers experienced food insecurity, living without reliable access to enough healthy food. And 13% of residential care workers’ children lived in material deprivation, where families are unable to provide children with essentials like fresh fruit and vegetables or a warm winter coat. This is compared to 5% of children in all working families.
The Health Foundation is calling for additional investment and reform for social care to address low pay and poor working conditions. The authors argue that little is being done to improve social care jobs in England, compared to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They say the Government should prioritise improving pay in a fully-funded, comprehensive workforce plan for social care in England and that broader policy to tackle poverty is also vital – including on housing and social security.
Skills for Care published The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England report this week, an annual analysis of the adult social care workforce in England and the characteristics of the people working within it. In relation to pay and conditions, the report found that care workers with five years’ experience are paid 7p per hour more than a care worker with less than one year’s experience. The average care worker pay is £1 per hour less than healthcare assistants in the NHS that are new to their roles.
Professor Martin Green, Chief Executive of Care England, said, ‘The writing is on the wall and immediate help is urgently required to secure the future sustainability of the sector. We are awaiting the operationalisation of the £500m which was due to be generated by the Health and Social Care Levy for the workforce over the next 3 years. However, if this is to happen, it would be only the first, of what needs to be many steps in bolstering our workforce, as it would equate to just 5.7p per hour for each sector employee. A stable social care workforce is the bedrock of an effective care system and also plays a crucial role in supporting the functioning of the NHS.’
Adding, ‘More widely, the sector needs to be reframed to make care a valued and properly rewarded career. The sector requires a ten-year workforce plan, akin to that of the NHS, where career progression, pay and rewards are identified. We need to develop some clear skills and competency frameworks, and a set of portable qualifications so that people can easily move between providers, and this must be done with a matter of urgency.’
Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy at the Health Foundation, said, ‘Social care workers – who are mostly women – play a vital role in society but are among the lowest paid workers in the UK, and experience shocking levels of poverty and deprivation. Many cannot afford enough food, shelter, clothing and other essentials, putting their health at risk.
‘Sustained underfunding of social care has contributed to unacceptable pay and conditions for staff and major workforce shortages, with vacancies in England rising by 52% last year. This reflects political choices. If government values people using and providing social care, it must act to tackle low pay and insecure employment conditions in the sector.
‘People on low incomes are most likely to struggle through the current cost-of-living crisis, and poverty in the UK is set to increase. Yet government’s plan for growth prioritises tax cuts over investment in public services – with a further squeeze on public spending likely to follow.’
Visit the Health Foundation website for more information.
In other news, new figures released by Skills for Care today show that the number of vacant posts in adult social care has increased by 52% in one year, the highest rate on record.