Commenting on a speech by health and social care secretary Matt Hancock today (Friday) to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services spring conference on social care reform, UNISON senior national officer for social care Gavin Edwards said:
“There’s been no shortage of promises on social care in recent years, but the government has never delivered. Everyone depending on or delivering social care is tired of empty words and broken pledges.
“The care sector and the vulnerable people it supports desperately need a world class service. This should be equal in excellence to the NHS – tinkering with a broken system won’t do.
“All parts of government including the treasury must back long-term reform and funding. Serious investment and radical proposals will drive up standards and ensure care workers are treated and paid fairly.”
UNISON is the UK’s largest union including in social care, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.