Homecare Association response to Care Workforce Pathway Call for Evidence

Attached is our response to the Department of Health and Social Care's call for evidence on a new care workforce pathway for England. The pathway proposed is a plan for a high level four stage career pathway for careworkers in adult social care. (You can read more about it here). 

We support the idea of a career pathway. Amongst other things, it is important for staff retention that there are clear routes to progress within the sector.

However, we highlight the need to support any pathway with funding to allow for better pay and reward for staff who do develop their skills. So called 'soft skills' such as emotional intelligence, initiative for lone working, and supportive communication are invaluable for care work and these need to be recognised (the pathway should not only focus on formal qualifications). A care workforce pathway is also not a substitute for a proper 10 year workforce strategy, considering the skills that are needed in the sector and appropriately linking these to plans for the NHS workforce.

We urge the Department and Ministers to acknowledge the need for a Workforce Strategy for social care, funding to enable pay progression and the recognition of these harder to quantify "soft skills".