Agenda item

Motion Submitted by the Labour Group - Dignity in Social Care: Improving Social Care Services and Jobs

 

This Council recognises growing concern over the continuing crisis of social care.

 

This Council notes with alarm the continuing issue of social care underfunding that makes it hard for local authorities and provider organisations to ensure decent jobs and quality services.

   

This Council supports the provisions of UNISON’s Ethical and Residential Care Charters.

 

This Council intends to sign the Unison Ethical Care Charter and to implement the stages of the charter at the earliest practicable opportunity, recognising that some aspects of the charters will require additional funding and a phased approach.

 

This Council welcomes the additional short term funding that the government pledged for social care in the 2018 budget but notes that this does not go far enough and does not represent a sustainable solution.

 

This Council undertakes to work with and encourage those care providers that we currently commission or purchase provision from and to require those care providers that we commission or purchase provision from in future to:-

 

   Work towards the implementation of the 3 stages of the Ethical Care Charter in a phased way. Ensuring that we engage with providers as part of this process.

 

   Respect the right of care staff to engage with a union in their workplace and do nothing to undermine the reasonable efforts of staff to engage with a union.

 

   Pursue a partnership approach to employment relations.  We would expect the provider to engage constructively with the union including a recognition and facilities agreement to underpin collective working.

 

This Council is committed to an ongoing journey to drive up standards and quality across the homecare and residential care sector. By pledging our support to and signing the Ethical Care Charter we are signing up to the overriding objective of the Charter which is to establish a minimum baseline for safety, quality and dignity in care.

Minutes:

It was moved and seconded that:

 

“This Council recognises growing concern over the continuing crisis of social care.

 

This Council notes with alarm the continuing issue of social care underfunding that makes it hard for local authorities and provider organisations to ensure decent jobs and quality services.

   

This Council supports the provisions of UNISON’s Ethical and Residential Care Charters.

 

This Council intends to sign the Unison Ethical Care Charter and to implement the stages of the charter at the earliest practicable opportunity, recognising that some aspects of the charters will require additional funding and a phased approach.

 

This Council welcomes the additional short term funding that the government pledged for social care in the 2018 budget but notes that this does not go far enough and does not represent a sustainable solution.

 

This Council undertakes to work with and encourage those care providers that we currently commission or purchase provision from and to require those care providers that we commission or purchase provision from in future to:-

 

     Work towards the implementation of the 3 stages of the Ethical Care Charter in a phased way. Ensuring that we engage with providers as part of this process.

 

     Respect the right of care staff to engage with a union in their workplace and do nothing to undermine the reasonable efforts of staff to engage with a union.

 

     Pursue a partnership approach to employment relations.  We would expect the provider to engage constructively with the union including a recognition and facilities agreement to underpin collective working.

 

This Council is committed to an ongoing journey to drive up standards and quality across the homecare and residential care sector. By pledging our support to and signing the Ethical Care Charter we are signing up to the overriding objective of the Charter which is to establish a minimum baseline for safety, quality and dignity in care.”

 

Following speeches of support, the Motion was agreed with the unanimous consent of the Council.

 

RESOLVED: That this Council recognises growing concern over the continuing crisis of social care.

 

This Council notes with alarm the continuing issue of social care underfunding that makes it hard for local authorities and provider organisations to ensure decent jobs and quality services.

   

This Council supports the provisions of UNISON’s Ethical and Residential Care Charters.

 

This Council intends to sign the Unison Ethical Care Charter and to implement the stages of the charter at the earliest practicable opportunity, recognising that some aspects of the charters will require additional funding and a phased approach.

 

This Council welcomes the additional short term funding that the government pledged for social care in the 2018 budget but notes that this does not go far enough and does not represent a sustainable solution.

 

This Council undertakes to work with and encourage those care providers that we currently commission or purchase provision from and to require those care providers that we commission or purchase provision from in future to:-

 

     Work towards the implementation of the 3 stages of the Ethical Care Charter in a phased way. Ensuring that we engage with providers as part of this process.

 

     Respect the right of care staff to engage with a union in their workplace and do nothing to undermine the reasonable efforts of staff to engage with a union.

 

     Pursue a partnership approach to employment relations.  We would expect the provider to engage constructively with the union including a recognition and facilities agreement to underpin collective working.

 

This Council is committed to an ongoing journey to drive up standards and quality across the homecare and residential care sector. By pledging our support to and signing the Ethical Care Charter we are signing up to the overriding objective of the Charter which is to establish a minimum baseline for safety, quality and dignity in care.