Commenting on the prime minister’s speech on Wednesday about the future of adult social care, UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan said:
“It’s good to see the prime minister gets the magnitude of the problem and what it’ll take to fix things.
“Shutting out the private firms who’re only in it for a quick buck must be a central component of any national care service. No one should be raking in profits from basic human needs.
“The current system makes it all too easy for bad employers to exploit vulnerable people, their families and the workers who provide these essential services. That has to end.
“The prime minister’s also right that solving staffing issues is key to fixing the crisis in social care.
“Improved pay, on a par with staff employed by the NHS, and a better career path are vital to improve the status of the job and attract people to the profession.
“There must be an urgent rethink on how international staff are being treated. Plans to push migrant care workers out of the UK need to be scrapped.
“They’re looking after people with complex needs and some of society’s most vulnerable people. They should be better rewarded, not vilified. Without them, the system would collapse.
“Andy Burnham’s right to speed up Baroness Casey’s review and work across the political spectrum to find solutions.
“There’ve been no shortage of plans to fix adult social care since he grappled with the issue as health secretary back in 2010.
“But the total absence of progress in 16 years means he needs to now make a start immediately.”
