Decision Maker: Cabinet
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
The Group Director, Community & Children’s Services provided his report to Cabinet which contained exempt information. The Group Director spoke of the growing and sustained pressures on domiciliary and residential care and in response to the recruitment and retention crisis in care and support the need for the Council to ensure an appropriate minimum level of pay for care workers which was a critical step towards supporting this essential workforce.
Members of the Cabinet spoke in support of the report and with the permission of the Leader, County Borough Councillor also addressed the Committee on this item.
Following discussions it was RESOLVED:
1. To formally commit to providing support for independent sector social care providers to ensure that all care workers are paid at a minimum of the Real Living Wage level, specifically, those commissioned (excluding specialist placements) to provide older people residential and nursing care, supported living, extra care and home care and personal assistants providing care and support through direct payments for Adult and Children’s Services; and
2. To delegate responsibility to the Group Director of Community and Children’s Services (in consultation with the Director of Legal Services) to engage with providers listed above and make the necessary contractual amendments; and
3. To formally write to Welsh Government seeking their assurance that core (base budget) funding is provided in this regard
The recommendations in this report are made in recognition of the growing and sustained pressures on domiciliary and residential care and in response to the recruitment and retention crisis in care and support. Ensuring an appropriate minimum level of pay for care workers is a critical step towards supporting this essential workforce.
Publication date: 04/10/2021
Date of decision: 04/10/2021
Decided at meeting: 04/10/2021 - Cabinet
Effective from: 08/10/2021
Accompanying Documents: