ELCAP welcomes Scottish Government investment in social care

ELCAP has welcomed a new Scottish Government investment in social care.

The NHS and Care Package of additional funding will see up to £48 million made available to increase the hourly rate of social care staff to match new NHS band 2 staff.  Intelligence from ELCAP’s partners at the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) suggests that the funds will increase minimum pay for adult social care workers to £10.02 per hour.

Welcoming the news, which was announced by Humza Yousaf, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, ELCAP Chief Executive, Paul White, said:

“In our response to the Independent Review of Adult Social Care in Scotland, we shared our concerns that work in social care is sometimes viewed as unskilled and is therefore undervalued.  When work is undervalued, the usual results are lower pay and weaker employee benefits packages.

We’re therefore pleased that the Scottish Government has heard what ELCAP and organisations like us have said.  We have always done our best to offer fair pay to our Support Practitioners, but this investment will make a much needed difference to our lower paid colleagues.”

ELCAP understands that the pay increase will take effect from 1 December 2021.

Over the years, ELCAP has sought to invest as much of its resources as possible in front line staff.  ELCAP is an accredited Living Wage employer, while its £10.55 hourly rate for qualified Support Practitioners is more than £1.00 higher than the real Living Wage.

In recent weeks, other social care organisations – including ENABLE Scotland and The Thistle Foundation – have taken steps to improve pay for support staff.