Today’s announcement by the Scottish Government of £20 million to address the funding gap in paying social care workers the Real Living Wage is a welcome and necessary intervention.
This decision recognises what providers, workers, local government and trade unions have been consistently clear about: the workforce is the heart of social care, and failure to properly fund the Real Living Wage places both staff and the sustainability of services at unacceptable risk.
While this funding will not, on its own, resolve the wider and deep-rooted challenges facing the sector, it is an essential step in the right direction. Ensuring that social care workers are paid fairly for their skilled, compassionate and vital work is fundamental to retaining staff, maintaining safe services, and supporting the wider health and care system.
We are grateful to all those who have stood alongside us in recent days to raise the urgency of this issue, including colleagues in local government, other provider bodies and trade unions. The collective voice of the sector has been instrumental in ensuring the seriousness of the funding gap and its consequences were clearly understood.
However, it is also important to acknowledge that the situation should not have arisen in this way. The lack of consultation and the unilateral approach to funding decisions have caused real anxiety for providers and workers alike, and have placed unnecessary strain on services already under significant pressure. The recent treatment of the workforce has been regrettable, and must not be repeated.
This announcement must now be seen as a foundation, not a conclusion. Much more will be required to address the true cost of care, ensure fair and transparent commissioning, and secure the long-term sustainability of social care services across Scotland. We remain committed to working constructively with the Scottish Government, COSLA and wider partners to achieve a system that properly values social care and those who deliver it every day.
Read the Scottish Government Budget update here: Budget agreement secured – gov.scot
