Received from: Unison
Merged into composite 12
Congress notes the terrible impact that Covid-19 has had on the adult social care sector.
Thousands of older and disabled people have lost their lives, while the virus has exacted a heavy toll on the care workforce.
Congress believes the pandemic has highlighted the many serious problems with the existing system – such as chronic underfunding, poor employment practices, fragmented service delivery, and the predominance of the profit motive.
Congress is encouraged by the overwhelming consensus that ambitious reform is needed for the sector and the growing impetus behind calls for a national care service.
As part of this, Congress asserts that the ambition should be to deliver the vast proportion of care through public funding, and to substantially increase direct public provision of care.
Greater parity should be sought with the NHS – in term of access, pay and training – ultimately making integration with the NHS a possibility.
Congress also believes that several more immediate actions are required, such as a substantial funding boost, action to address pay and conditions, a focus on training and professionalism, collective bargaining, a workforce strategy for the sector, and a move away from the current commissioning model.
Congress calls on TUC General Council to:
i. highlight the glaring inadequacies of the current social care system
ii. campaign for fair pay, living wage, proper sick pay and decent conditions for our under-valued care workforce
iii. support the introduction of a national care service
iv. campaign alongside unions, service users and other supportive organisations to achieve this.
UNISON
AMENDMENT
- At end of paragraph 6, add:
“Upfront investment is also needed to accelerate efforts to integrate health and social care services to ensure quality, joined-up care for patients.” - In the final paragraph, insert new sub-paragraph iv.:
“iv. back upfront investment for the integration of health and social care”
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
AMENDMENT
- In paragraph 7, after “professionalism” insert, “including for line managers and senior managerial staff, who do not receive training comparative to their counterparts in the NHS”.
FDA