Covid inquiry – social care workforce was “unprepared” for pandemic – TUC

Responding to the sixth report of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, published on Tuesday, which finds the Covid-19 pandemic “exposed and exacerbated the underlying fragility of the adult social care workforce“, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:  

The Conservatives promised they would throw a protective ring around our care system. 

But today’s report shows they left the workforce and those receiving care hugely exposed by discharging hospital patients into homes without properly testing them.

The consequences were catastrophic for those living in care homes – and people working in them. Many social care workers were put at risk and low wages and lack of sick pay meant they couldn’t afford to take time off if they were ill. 

The social care system that entered the pandemic was held together by an underpaid and overstretched workforce, predominantly women and disproportionately BME workers. Too often, they were employed on zero-hours contracts, working long hours without adequate PPE or sufficient training – and often moving around between care settings.

The lack of decent pay and working conditions – combined with years of underfunding under the Tories and bad government decision-making – created the perfect storm. And hundreds of care workers paid the ultimate price.

On the need to build resilience for the future, Paul added:

We need to learn the lessons and be better prepared for crises in future. For too long care workers have been underpaid and undervalued for the vital work they do.

That’s why the government’s commitment to the creation of a Fair Pay Agreement in social care is so important. It will help lift the floor of pay and conditions in the sector and put it on a more stable footing for the future. 

The government’s recent introduction of a collective pension scheme for care workers, combined with the new Fair Pay Agreement and joint working with unions will make great strides towards a National Care Service that gives all care workers get the pay, conditions and dignity they deserve. 

And unions need a seat at the table in future pandemic planning to ensure proper workplace safety protections are in place – and to prevent the spread of infections in workplaces and wider society.