Thistle Foundation response to the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government
On 5th September 2023, as part of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, the First Minister announced that the rate of pay for social care workers will increase to £12 per hour effective from April 2024.
Mark Hoolahan, Chief Executive of Thistle Foundation, said, “Yesterday’s announcement by Scottish Government that they will be increasing the rate of pay for social care workers, to £12 per hour, is welcome news. But it does not go far enough.
“During today’s visit to our Centre of Wellbeing, by the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, people we support, their families and staff voiced their disappointment that rates of pay will not be backdated to April 2023, and reinforced the importance, value and contribution our social care workers make in communities across Scotland.
“Social care workers have a central role in supporting our loved ones, friends and neighbours. They support people to live their lives, in their local community and in a way that works for them. The role requires people who are focused on providing person-centred, human rights-based support and it involves ongoing learning and development and a professional qualification. In short, it’s skilled work.
“Historically, social care work has been chronically undervalued. We stand with our colleagues, the sector and the CCPS’ ongoing work to ensure that the 4 Steps to Fair Work campaign calls are answered.”
Emma McKendrick who is supported by and works at Thistle Foundation added, “Continuity and consistency is so important when it comes to the support that I get from my team. They support me in the way that I need because they know me and what matters most to me – my work, which I love. However, it’s not like that for everyone because of the issues with recruitment and retention that the social care sector is experiencing. I would like to see fair and equal pay to value the essential contribution our social care workforce make to our society.”
