GMB Agenda for Modern Social Care

Social care is currently a Cinderellasector. It faces a crippling cash crisis, and a struggle to recruit staffagainst its low pay, low status image. The GMB believes that this country needsto make a new commitment to social care. One which will deliver a majorinvestment in quality, sustainable services.

The GMB represents over 60,000 staff inthe care sector and the numbers are growing all the time. Our members workacross the sectors:

Public Private Voluntary

They work in a wide range of jobsincluding:

Care assistants Home-care workers Cleaners Caterers

Social workers Nurses Wardens Drivers

Escorts Receptionists Laundryworkers

And they work with a range of peoplewith diverse and complex needs

Children Young people Olderpeople Peoplewith disabilities

Socialcare staff know better than anyone the pressures the sector faces and thechallenges it must meet. And among our wider membership, employed in all walksof life, there are few families who have not been touched by these pressuresand challenges.

TheGMB believes a new commitment to social care depends on a new set ofprinciples:

Fairness

Quality

Inclusion

Flexibility

Accountability

Partnership

OurAgenda for modern social care calls for

Fairness

State-funding of all personal care through general taxation

Substantial programme of new investment in social care

Sustainable funding levels to break the vicious cycle ofcuts and under-funding

An end to funding distortions between public, private andvoluntary sectors

Level playing field of quality standards, but

Inspection centred on views and experiences of service usersand staff

Quality

Quality standards which have a rounded emphasis on qualityof life for service users: dignity, respect, privacy and personal freedom arenot as easy to measure as room sizes or referral times

Serious attention to the high incidence of health and safetyrisks faced by staff and by service users

Recognition in Best Value reviews of the inextricable linkbetween quality services and quality employment

Contracting which lays down a level playing field of minimumemployment standards to be met by all bidders

Increased resources to end low pay and ease the recruitmentand retention crisis

Massive investment in training and education to lift morale,skills and status

Registration for all staff with the General Social CareCouncil with priority given to the 80% who are unqualified

Reform of social care NVQs to raise quality and ensureconsistency

Link up and rationalisation of NVQs, GNVQs, ModernApprenticeships and National Traineeships to deliver flexible career pathwayswhich aid progression from support roles to professional qualifications

Joint review by Government, employers and trade unions ofskill mix and workforce planning across the sector

Inclusion

Fulfilment of the sectors potential to play a pivotal rolein tackling social exclusion

Investment in seamless services available to the widestrange of users, not rationed to the fewest with the most acute needs.

Flexibility

Flexibility and innovation in service design to meetindividual needs and reflect cultural diversity

Empowerment of front-line staff so they are free to respondto changing needs

Accountability

Best Value approach which holds all service providers,regardless of sector, accountable to local citizens and involves service usersand staff in decision-making

Service monitoring involving users and staff

Partnership

Partnership between service providers, their workforces andtheir trade unions

Partnerships between the public, private and voluntarysectors

Partnerships between health, social services and other localagencies

And above all Partnership with service-users and theirfamilies.

GMB Britains General Union

GeneralSecretary: John Edmonds NationalOfficer: Jude Brimble

NationalOffice: 22-24 Worple Road, London SW19 4DD

Tel:020 8947 3131 E-mail:jude.brimble@gmb.org.uk