Following the announcement of the NHS Wales Health and Social Care Winter Plan, which ensures an additional £42m for social care this Winter, the Homecare Association has called for the recruitment and retention of homecare workers to be prioritised.
NHS Wales Chief Executive Andrew Goodall stated: "We are bracing ourselves for one of the hardest winters we have ever faced, but will keep essential services running".
Commenting on the plan, Homecare Association CEO Dr Jane Townson said:
“At the Homecare Association, our biggest concern this winter is that the value of our careworkers is recognised and that the retention and recruitment of staff is prioritised. There is significant and growing demand for care services from people in the community needing help, as well from hospital discharges, and the amount of care that the sector can deliver is directly related to the number of careworkers.
Independent providers are responsible for the vast majority of homecare in Wales. Local Authorities and Health Boards often pay fee rates that are low and do not allow for fair or competitive wages to be paid to staff. Labour market pressures are increasing, and the need to invest in our care workforce is becoming ever more urgent.
This new funding must form part of a wider picture of support to providers and the care workforce this winter. There also must be long term change in Wales if we are to maintain and develop the care capacity that the country needs.”
--ENDS--
Notes for Editors
- The Homecare Association (formerly United Kingdom Homecare Association, UKHCA) is the UK’s membership body for homecare providers, with over 2,340 members nationally. The Homecare Association’s mission is to work together to ensure that homecare is valued, so that all of us can live well at home and flourish within our communities. The Homecare Association takes the lead in shaping homecare, in collaboration with partners across the care sector, and provides hands-on support and practical tools for its members. As a member-led professional association, the Homecare Association's members agree to abide by the Association's Code of Practice.
- For further information please contact:
Homecare Association Ltd
Sutton Business Centre, Restmor Way, Wallington, SM6 7AH
Telephone: 020 8661 8165
Mobile: 07393 012 113
www.homecareassociation.org.uk
