Social care support workers are to receive an immediate 3.3% pay rise and sick pay funding is promised for third and independent sector providers.

The move from the Scottish Government will see the pay of social care support workers providing direct adult support rise to at least the Real Living Wage – currently £9.30 an hour – including for sleep-overs and hours worked by personal assistants.

Agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA, the announcement means staff will not need to wait for pay to be backdated later in the year, as has happened previously.

Backdated to the 1^st April, the Scottish Government says the rise is in recognition of the vital role being played by social care workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Scottish Government has said it will also provide funding to third sector and independent care providers specifically to ensure staff receive sick pay if they are off work ill or because they are self-isolating.

Many care providers have reported they face colossal wage bills as absence rates go up with staff having to self-isolate and other workers are brought in to fill gaps.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the funding allocated to providers would give them the financial flexibility to increase wages across their organisations, and not just to frontline staff.

Throughout a series of roundtable meetings held with care providers across Scotland before the coronavirus outbreak, healthandcare.scot heard of providers’ difficulties in filling vacancies, with low pay cited as one of the main causes.

Calls have been repeatedly made for carers to be given recognition as a professional workforce, with funding to train staff in specialised areas.

“Scotland’s dedicated social care workers are on the frontline of our national pandemic response. Their work is always hugely valued, and never more so than now,” Ms Freeman said.

“The measures we are announcing in partnership with COSLA today will ensure all people providing adult social care receive the Real Living Wage for every hour worked with immediate effect, rather than having to wait until later in the year.

COSLA spokesperson for Health and Social Care Councillor Stuart Currie said the announcement “reflects the key worker status of social care support staff”, while Andy Kerr, chair of the Fair Work in Social Care Group, said:

“This announcement will provide social care providers the confidence, in these very challenging times, to ensure a very welcome and deserved pay uplift for social care staff working in Scotland.

“As well as recognising the importance of their work, today’s announcement also gives reassurance that financial support is available for those who are sick or self-isolating during this unprecedented situation. It also reflects the work we are doing as part of the overall reform of adult social care to build a framework for fair work across the sector.”

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