‘Pushing our vision of a fully funded national care service’

UNISON has told the government that it needs to move faster in reforming adult social care, general secretary Christina McAnea said today.

Ms McAnea was speaking to delegates at the UNISON community seminar, in Bristol, ahead of tomorrow’s community conference.

Her remarks came just weeks after health and social care secretary Wes Streeting announced an independent commission into reform of adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, that will not publish its final report until 2028.

“I know how important social care is to this service group,” Ms McAnea said. “A huge number of our care worker members are employed by charities and not-for-profit organisations.

“This service group has always led from the front when it comes to social care – sometimes when others were not so vocal. Campaigning for sick pay, against violence at work, and supporting our campaign for a national care service.”

UNISON had successfully pushed for the such a service to be included in Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto, Ms McAnea said.

“I think we have all been disappointed by the timescales announced for the Casey Commission, which will develop the plan for addressing the problems in social care, its funding and delivering a national care service.

“There is a crisis in social care, both for people working in the sector but also for people who need care and their families.

“And I have told government that it needs to move faster. But I also want ministers to get this right, so UNISON will be fully engaging, pro-actively, with the Casey Commission and pushing our vision of a fully funded, fully functioning national care service.”

Fair pay agreement

She added that the “first and toughest building block” of a national care service is a fair pay agreement for social care, negotiated between employers and unions and providing new legally enforceable minimum standards for workers in the sector.

And the government is “pushing ahead with this”, independently of the timetable of the Casey Commission.

“The negotiating body to make it happen was in the Employment Rights Bill. We made sure it was. And we are working with government now to shape the details of how negotiations and enforcement will work.

“Don’t underestimate what a huge achievement this would be for our union and our care members – new national collective bargaining covering a workforce bigger than the NHS, and growing fast.”

Migrant workers

Ms McAnea spoke of the recent UNISON report that revealed that overseas care staff were having to share beds with other workers, sleep rough, and pay huge fees to rogue employers to work in the UK.

She also drew attention to Home Office figures published yesterday, showing visa applications for health and care workers have plummeted – down 81% last year on the previous 12 months.

“I’ve been shocked by the stories of cruel exploitation experienced by overseas care workers. It is totally unacceptable,” she said. “None of us could blame them for wanting to head to more welcoming parts of the world.

“But the UK care sector is already thousands of workers short. It can’t provide support to all those who need it. That’s why these latest visa figures are so worrying. And why overseas workers deserve support and thanks for the contribution they make.

“Conference, we want our members to live without the fear that their employer can have them deported if they don’t comply with unreasonable requests or challenge exploitation.

“UNISON will campaign to take the power of visa sponsorship away from employers in the social care sector, so that workers have the choice to move to a new employer, and will no longer be threatened with removal from the country.”

Charity funding

Ms McAnea noted that the dire financial situation of charities was “a major concern” to the community service group in particular.

“The sector is facing huge difficulties because too many employers treat staff as if they are expendable, and local authority or NHS commissioners are not paying the going rate to fund fair terms and conditions.

“The outcome has been a race to the bottom and job losses.

“The organisations you work for are providing vital services: addiction support, hospice care, children’s homes and housing advice.

“We will always be clear with government and with local commissioners. They must start funding these public services to ensure service delivery and fair treatment of staff goes hand in hand. Not setting one against the other.”

On a personal note

The general secretary ended her speech on a deeply personal note.

“Last year I saw first-hand and up close and personal the impact social care can make,” she told delegates.

“My husband was very ill late last year and sadly died in November. While he was at home, I saw the differences in the types of social care support available.

“From the excellent, well-trained support we got from carers from a well-established hospice – and yes, they were UNISON members – to the unsupported, untrained staff from a private care company, whose bosses clearly only cared about their profit margins.

“The difference couldn’t have been starker.

“But I’m still here as general secretary, campaigning and fighting for our union,” she added. “It’s never been more important for members, negotiators, branches, reps, activists, and staff to all to stand together and show the difference we can make.”

The article ‘Pushing our vision of a fully funded national care service’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.