• Local government
• How we organise
• Getting equal
• Efficiency reviews
• Documents
• Pay campaign
• Pay Commission
• Pensions
• Make local service count
• Training and development
• Web links
• Conferences

• Occupations
• Ofsted
• CAFCASS
• Chief officers and senior managers
• Craft workers
• Fire and rescue
• Home care
• Housing
• Library and culture service
• Meat hygiene
• Commission for Social Care Inspection
• Occupational Therapists
• Probation
• Private contractors
• Registration Officers
• Rent service
• Social care
• Youth and community

Save our homecare services

Homecare is an essential service which gives people independence, supports families and saves lives. Today across the UK over 500,000 adults who are elderly, disabled or mentally ill receive homecare services through their local council. But that number has fallen by around a third since the mid-nineties as councils are increasingly rationing help only to those with the most critical needs.

There are more than 200,000 homecare workers in the UK and UNISON represents members working in homecare across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Competition driven by cost-cutting is pushing down pay and conditions. This is causing chronic staff turnover and recruitment problems - making it difficult for people to form meaningful relationships with their care staff. As councils seek to save money they are cutting their well-trained homecare staff and replacing them with private agencies who promise to do it cheaper. Many of these agencies cut wages, don't train or vet staff, cut visit times and deliver poor services which are letting people down.

UNISON is campaigning for more funding and better quality for homecare services and we need your support.

What you can do
Download our petition and return your collected signatures to us at the freepost address so we can present them to Ministers.
Save our Homecare petition

Write to your MP
Use this model letter as a guide to writing your own letter. Your MP will respond better to a personally written letter. Please try to include details of your own or your family member's situation and experiences, or if you work in the service, the job that you do and your views about what is happening. This will help your MP understand the importance of what's happening to homecare services.
To find your MP visit www.theyworkforyou.com

Download a copy of our campaign leaflet - this could be helpful in writing letters to your MP, councillor or local newspaper:

Model letter to your MP
Microsoft DOC version

< Back | More >

Pay matters A fair deal for public service workers

Home | About us | News | Campaigns | Get active | At work | Groups | Resources | Benefits | Contact us | Why join UNISON? | Help at work

U - official magazine for UNISON members - 6th highest magazine circulation in the UK

UNISON plus for Road Rescue