- Conference
- 2008 Local Government Service Group Conference
- Date
- 22 February 2008
- Decision
- Carried
This Conference is concerned about the impact on the terms and conditions of members working in social care outside of direct local authority provision. We are also concerned that the rapid growth of agency, self employed, and community and voluntary sector provision will lead to worsening standards of employment. Disabled members report that:
1)Directly employed social care workers rates of pay are considerably lower that their counterparts in public authorities
2)Training opportunities in health and safety, ongoing professional development and personal development are almost non-existent
3)Sickness absence provision is poor with sick pay argued to be unaffordable due to limited funding packages of disabled people
4)Personal indemnity and public liability insurance are expensive and not comprehensive in comparison to local authority provision
5)Pension provision is expensive and not comprehensive in comparison to local authority provision
6)Social care workers face the added financial burden of meeting “on the job” expenses
7)As more direct payments options are sought the threat of redundancy is increasing and is of particular concern to low paid, part time disabled members currently delivering social care services.
There is a basis for a strong community based campaign joining the forces of members providing these services and service users to defend quality public services.
This Conference instructs the Local Government Service Group Executive to work in conjunction with the National Disabled Members Committee to:
a)Develop a recruitment and organising strategy specifically for workers affected by these changes in social care provision;
b)Campaign for national local government terms and conditions for workers providing social care either directly or indirectly funded by local authorities;
c)Issue guidance for local negotiators to maximise protection from redundancy for disabled members working in social care, and
d)Develop networks at branch, regional and national level with disabled people’s organisations and user led organisations to campaign jointly for improved funding arrangements to support social care members’ employment conditions.