Minister sets out next steps for Real Living Wage in social care

Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan has said she wants to see a first group of social care workers receive the Real Living Wage early in this Senedd term.

Julie Morgan said:

“There has been a real recognition of the important role social care workers play during this pandemic, providing care and support to those that need it most.  However, there is no greater recognition than fair reward.

“We have convened the Social Care Fair Work Forum, a social partnership group in which trade unions, employers and Government come together to look at how working conditions can be improved.

“I will be asking the Forum to make recommendations to me this autumn about the best approach to ensuring that care workers in Wales enjoy fairer pay.  I will be asking them to consider which part of the sector should be our starting point early on in the Senedd term.

“We are committed to creating a stronger, better paid workforce in social care. However, this is a complex sector and lasting change must be based on careful consideration. We will need to take a phased approach to implementing this commitment, which means that not all workers will receive Real Living Wage at the same time.

“This is because we recognise that employers and commissioners will need time to adjust to changes. We want to ensure that they are never rolled back.

“We are committed to making care work a long term career choice, one where workers feel properly rewarded and supported. This will help to ensure the sector can meet the changing needs of our communities. This is about delivering a fairer, stronger Wales.”