A Budget That Cares’ – Urgent Action Required to Support Scotland’s Social Care Sector

Scottish Care, the representative body of the independent social care sector across Scotland, is calling on both the UK and Scottish Government to take immediate action to protect Scotland’s social care sector. The recent UK Budget, with its increase in National Insurance contributions, will place an unbearable burden on social care providers who are already at breaking point. The Scottish Government must prioritise social care in its upcoming budget to safeguard these vital services, care and support workers, and to ensure long-term sustainability.

Key Asks

1. Mitigate National Insurance Impact
   The UK Government’s National Insurance increase imposes severe financial pressure on social care providers, risking closures across the sector.

• Ask to the UK Government: Exempt social care services from the National Insurance increase.
• Ask to the Scottish Government: Provide relief funding through upcoming budget to offset costs and prevent sector collapse.

2. Address Funding Shortfalls
   Current funding levels are insufficient to cover rising costs for wages, energy, food, and insurance.

• Ask to the Scottish Government: Allocate ring-fenced funding for social care providers to pay their staff a fair wage, meet rising costs, and maintain quality care.

3. Support the Social Care Workforce
   Social care workers are undervalued and underpaid, resulting in high turnover rates and recruitment challenges.

• Ask to the Scottish Government: Invest in fair wages, staff differentials, and improved terms and conditions to attract and retain skilled workers.

4. Reform Commissioning Practice
   Procurement systems often undermine sustainability and fairness in social care delivery

• Ask to the Scottish Government: Implement ethical commissioning practises that prioritise person-centred care, transparent, and sustainable approaches.

Urgent Need for Action

The UK Budget’s National Insurance increase could have devastating consequences for the social care sector. Almost half of the care home and home care organisations surveyed by Scottish Care indicated that they might have to close services as a result of this increase. This would ripple through the sector, causing widespread job losses and limiting access to care for those who need it most. Underfunded and understaffed providers will struggle to deliver high-quality care, forcing more people to rely on already overburdened NHS hospitals and healthcare services.

A Call for Collaboration

Scottish Care calls on the Scottish Government, opposition parties and all stakeholders to work together to ensure a sustainable future for social care in Scotland. This requires significant investment, structural change, and a renewed commitment to the value of care.

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