WIREDGOV

Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responded to research by Unison showing that workers in social care could face worsening mental health due to staff shortages 

“Care workers have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic, providing essential round-the-clock support, despite facing immense pressures and challenging circumstances.

“Councils and care providers are doing what they can to support their workers, including providing greater access and tailoring information to address specific concerns about the coronavirus vaccine.

“Other actions are also urgently needed for the care workforce, which still faces a huge recruitment and retention crisis with more than 100,000 vacancies available on any given day and extremely high turnover rates, including on pay, conditions, professionalisation, skills and training.

“The Government’s social care plan was a step towards tackling this, but the Spending Review must also set out how immediate and short-term pressures in social care will be addressed, working with councils, care workers and those with lived experience to build back better and help develop a care and support system fit for the future.”

Huge vacancy rates across care sector adding to staff mental health crisis