Dawn Bowden MS, Minister for Children and Social Care
I am pleased to announce the development of the Social Care Workforce Partnership, established through the Social Care Fair Work Forum.
The Welsh Government is committed to making Wales a Fair Work nation. In 2020, we established the Social Care Fair Work Forum, a tripartite social partnership group dedicated to embedding Fair Work and improving terms and conditions for social care workers in Wales. Through the work of the Forum, the Social Care Workforce Partnership has been established.
The Social Care Workforce Partnership is the first of its kind in the UK. It brings together government, employers, and unions to work in social partnership to agree models of best practice for staff working in the independent social care sector, for employers to voluntarily adopt. Its longer-term ambition is for these agreed models to be adopted for all staff within scope and create more consistent terms and conditions across the social care sector in Wales.
The Partnership has developed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining its aims and objectives. An advisory group of experts will support the Partnership, and all partners will commit to continuous monitoring and review of the agreed policies.
The Partnership has consulted with the social care workforce and providers to determine their priorities for the next year, ensuring their voices are heard.
Today I am pleased to announce that the Partnership has agreed to develop the following three priorities in the first 12 months:
- Recognition Agreements (alongside Trade Union Access)
- Disciplinary and Grievance
- Health and Safety, including violence in the workplace
I am looking forward to seeing progress as the Partnership’s work develops. The collaboration between the government and our partners is a promising step towards creating a fairer and more supportive work environment for social care workers in Wales.
We know our social care workforce faces challenges. The work of both the Forum and Partnership will create important elements to shape our social care workforce having the right environment to support the people of Wales.
I am optimistic about the future and confident that we can develop a package of positive changes that make a difference to the social care workforce and the people who rely on social care services in Wales.