Skills for Care comments on Adult Social Care Fair Pay Agreement

The 1.5 million people who work in adult social care are vital to our society and our economy. They deserve to be appropriately rewarded in a way that supports career progression, learning and development and recruitment and retention.

Today's announcement takes us a step closer to a much-needed Fair Pay Agreement that will help to improve the quality of adult social care roles - and ensure we have enough of the right people with the right skills and values to provide the best possible care and support to those who draw on it.

It's important that the Fair Pay Agreement process is informed by reliable data and evidence - and that the right support is in place to help our 19,000 separate care providers to implement it. Skills for Care stands ready to support the Negotiating Body in these crucial areas.

It's fitting that the Fair Pay Agreement announcement comes alongside the expansion of the Care Workforce Pathway, which employers tell us is already helping them recruit more people, reduce their agency spending and improve staff confidence and job satisfaction.

The Agreement and Pathway are a perfect fit. If we align the two, pay and career progression will go hand in hand, making adult social care a rewarding profession in every possible sense.