ALABARÉ Calls for Prime Minister to Consider Charity Sector Within Social Care Reforms
ALABARÉ is calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to include the charity sector when considering reforms to the national social care system.
ALABARÉ is calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to include the charity sector when considering reforms to the national social care system.
Following the PM’s speech this week (Wednesday, 29 July), the organisation wholeheartedly agrees with the praise being levelled at social care workers, and the idea that pay should better reflect the hard work being carried out.
But the charity says it is important to note that the social care system has been severely affected by funding cuts and financial pressures for several years, including reductions to local authority budgets.
Charities like ALABARÉ receive funding from local authorities to provide services for rough sleepers and the homeless on their behalf, which comes out of their overall budget.
Reduced budgets, in turn, impact the level of care that organisations can offer, including the number of available bed spaces, the remuneration of colleagues providing direct support to clients, and the reliance on the generosity of individuals and organisations.
ALABARÉ would like to see the Government backing local authorities to support charity workers’ pay, bringing them into line with those in the social care sector.
The charitable sector faces several challenges in recruiting and retaining employees, including pay and burnout. Ultimately, the people who really benefit are the clients that charities support.
Naomi Webb, Director of Operations at ALABARÉ, said:
“We’re pleased to see the new Prime Minister taking the issue of social care and homelessness so seriously at the start of his tenure and hope that the words are followed by quick actions.
“It’s completely right that social care workers should be paid more fairly for the emotionally and sometimes physically demanding jobs they’re carrying out, but it’s also vital that the charity sector fits into the picture, given the close working relationship we have with local authorities to provide person-centred support to people beyond the more traditional expectations.
“We’d welcome the opportunity to work alongside the Government to bring the broader spectrum of social care into the conversation.”
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