Scottish Liberal Democrats Debate: Investing in the Future of Social Care

Alex Cole-Hamilton S6M-07813 That the Parliament thanks all those who work in the social care sector for their dedication, but believes that they have been undervalued for years; acknowledges that there is a shortage of staff working throughout social care; believes that this shortage is impacting the waiting times of those who require care packages and leading to year-on-year increases in delayed discharges, which the Scottish Government promised to eradicate within a year in 2015, contributing to the crisis in the NHS, and calls on the Scottish Government and its social care partners to reward staff with better pay, conditions and career progression, backed by the introduction of powerful national bargaining beginning in 2023-24, the acceleration of new national standards and entitlements for users, and the abolition of the SNP-Scottish Green Party administration’s plans for a National Care Service, which will not address the problems, will consume considerable staff time, and will cut the funds available for social care. Kevin Stewart S6M-07813.3 As an amendment to motion S6M-07813 in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton (Investing in the Future of Social Care), leave out from “but” to end and insert “and welcomes that increased funding is being delivered to ensure that all adult social care workers are paid at least the real Living Wage, and notes the desire to go further when possible; recognises that social care recruitment has faced the devastating impact of Brexit and an immovable visa system and immigration system from the UK Government; notes the impact that increased energy costs and high inflation are having on care service operators; supports the creation of the National Care Service to end the postcode lottery of care, help deliver fair work national pay bargaining for the adult social care sector, and ensure ethical commissioning of services as well as better support for unpaid carers; believes that the voices of people with lived experience must be central to the development of the National Care Service, and commends that the National Care Service will be built on local co-design and local delivery of services.” Craig Hoy S6M-07813.2 As an amendment to motion S6M-07813 in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton (Investing in the Future of Social Care), leave out from “, backed” to end and insert “; further calls on the Scottish Government to explain why it took back £331 million from the struggling social care sector, at a time when the sector is urgently calling for more investment; urges the Scottish Government to scrap its plans for a National Care Service, which has been derided by a variety of stakeholders, including unions, local government and Scottish Parliament committees, and calls on the Scottish Government to establish a Local Care Service underpinned by a Local Care Guarantee, which will ensure that people in Scotland are able to access social care in their local area.” Paul O'Kane S6M-07813.1 As an amendment to motion S6M-07813 in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton (Investing in the Future of Social Care), insert at end “, and further calls on the Scottish Government to immediately uplift social care pay to £12 per hour with a plan to raise it to £15 per hour and, as recommended in the Feeley Review, remove non-residential care charges.”