Fair Work commitments welcome – but delivery depends on fully funded action
Scottish Care welcomes yesterday’s commitments from the Scottish Government to progress Fair Work for the frontline women and men who provide care and support across Scotland. Any national statement recognising that social care staff in care homes, homecare services and housing support organisations, “deserve pay and conditions that reflect the essential, skilled, relational work they undertake” is positive. It echoes what we and our members have consistently stated for many years: Fair Work is not optional; it is foundational to a sustainable, ethical care system.
For nearly a decade, Scottish Care has argued that dignity and rights for supported people cannot be separated from dignity and rights for the workforce who enable that care. We have repeatedly made clear that a Fair Work promise without Fair Work funding is not Fair Work at all.
Yesterday’s announcement must therefore be a turning point. If Scotland is to move beyond short‑term uplifts and one‑off interventions, then Government must set out with transparency and urgency how the investment necessary to deliver Fair Work in all commissioned care services will be fully funded, consistently applied, and responsibly implemented across all local systems.
We are committed partners in creating a pathway to sectoral bargaining that works for providers, for workforce and for supported people. We stand ready to work constructively with Government, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, trade union colleagues and our partners across the sector to design a model that strengthens rights, enhances conditions, and supports long‑term sector sustainability. But this process must be honest about cost, capacity and deliverability.
Our members continue to face significant financial pressure, recruitment challenges, and ongoing uncertainty around future commissioning. Without clarity on how Fair Work commitments will be funded, including the real, full costs of pay, conditions, pensions, training and organisational infrastructure, providers will not have the stability required to implement new obligations safely or sustainably.
We therefore call for:
- A clear, costed and time‑bound plan showing how Government will fund Fair Work across all commissioned services, including care homes and homecare.
- National consistency so that providers and workers are not subject to local variation or gaps between policy and practice.
- Recognition of the true cost of care, including overheads, regulatory requirements and workforce development needs.
- A shift from emergency support to long‑term settlement, aligned to the future of social care reform, commissioning, and rights‑based support.
Our CEO, Professor Donald Macaskill commented:
“Fair Work is a shared national ambition. But ambition alone will not lift pay, stabilise services, or secure the future of care. The women and men providing care every day deserve more than warm words rather they deserve action matched with investment.
Scottish Care will continue to champion a Fair Work approach that is deliverable, evidence‑based, person‑led and rooted in respect for those who give and receive care. We will engage fully in next steps, and we look forward to working with ministers and partners to ensure that the commitments made today can become a reality for the sector tomorrow.”
