Care staff given 500m cash injection for training, recruitment and wellbeing

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s levy – initially funded by a 1.25 percent increase in national insurance that comes into force tomorrow – is set to raise £36billion for the Treasury over the next three years to be invested in the battered health and social care system. Half a billion pounds from £5.4billion earmarked for adult social care will fund a package of support for the workforce.

Whitehall officials say the funding will draw new staff to the sector and support those already in it by providing significant investment in individual learning and development, plus mental health and wellbeing.

Care and mental health minister Gillian Keegan said the £500million package would “boost recruitment”, “allow staff to progress in their careers” and “ensure wellbeing is better supported”.

She added: “The type of genuinely transformational change cannot be accomplished overnight.

“We know staff will need continued support, but we hope this package will level up opportunities for current and future social care staff.” Five local authorities in England have already been announced to implement a new adult social care system, which caps the cost of care.

Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Cheshire East, the London Borough of Newham and North Yorkshire will put the charging reform plans in place in January 2023 before a national rollout in October.

From next year, the Health and Social Care Levy will be treated as a separate tax with funds dedicated to the NHS and social care system.

But despite the announcement of the £500million boost, Labour’s shadow social care minister Karin Smyth criticised conditions in the sector.

She said: “Social care workers are quitting their jobs because the work is insecure and the pay is so low.

“The Government are making this worse, scrapping the fund for carers’ sick pay, so workers have to choose between putting dinner on the table or staying home if they fall ill.

“Labour’s New Deal for workers will provide care workers with fair pay, secure contracts and sick pay.”

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