Motion by Councillor Glynis Phillips - National Care Service
A National Care Service is required in England to provide consistent high-quality care and provide further support for unpaid carers by creating and implementing national standards.
There is a crisis in the adult social care workforce with the figures from Skills for Care showing that there are currently over 131,000 vacancies in the care sector. There are variations across the country in the way this vital workforce is treated with some care workers suffering from poor pay and conditions.
This council agrees for the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care setting out our support for a National Care Service that will
- Improve the quality of care for everyone who needs it and providing further support for unpaid carers
- Support independent living and enable people to recover outside hospital and care homes with the right level of support
- Promote public sector and not for profit organisations delivering care services
- Support partnership working with care providers including the voluntary sector, unions and government
- Implement a fair pay agreement with all care providers including the voluntary sector.
This council supports the setting up of a National Care Service and urges the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to prioritise this reform.
Note: The motion, if passed, would constitute the exercise of an executive function in which case it will be referred to the Cabinet together with any advice the Council may wish to give, in accordance with Rule 13.5.1 (i) of the Council Procedure Rules in the Constitution.
Decision:
The amendment proposed by Councillor Sudbury and seconded by Councillor Bennett was accepted by the proposer and seconder of the original motion and by Council.
The motion, as amended, was lost with 16 votes in favour, 4 abstentions and 27 against.
Minutes:
The motion was proposed by Councillor Phillips and seconded by Councillor Edosomwan.
The following amendment proposed by Councillor Sudbury and seconded by Councillor Bennett was accepted by the proposer and seconder of the original motion and by Council.
“A National Care Service funded through fair taxation is required in England to provide consistent high-quality care and provide further support for unpaid carers by creating and implementing national standards.
There is a crisis in the adult social care workforce with the figures from Skills for Care showing that there are currently over 131,000 vacancies in the care sector. There are variations across the country in the way this vital workforce is treated with some care workers suffering from poor pay and conditions.
This council agrees for the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care setting out our support for a National Care Service that will
- Improve the quality of care for everyone who needs it and providing further support for unpaid carers
- Support independent living and enable people to recover outside hospital and care homes with the right level of support
- Promote public sector and not for profit organisations delivering care services
- Support partnership working with care providers including the voluntary sector, unions and government
- Implement a fair pay agreement with all care providers including the voluntary sector.
- End the current unjust funding lottery, with funding coming instead from progressive taxes on land, property, or extreme wealth.
This council supports the setting up of a National Care Service and urges the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to prioritise this reform”
Following debate, the motion, as amended, was lost with 16 votes in favour, 4 abstentions and 27 against.