A leading care provider has urged candidates in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election to back a series of commitments aimed at reversing the decline of Scotland’s care sector.
Parklands Care Homes is writing to candidates from all major political parties, inviting them to support ‘A fair deal for Social Care’ – four practical commitments designed to strengthen funding for the sector, support the workforce, and ensure more older people can access care.
The move comes amid mounting concern about the future of social care, with Scottish Government funding failing to keep pace with the actual cost of delivering care.
In recent years, hundreds of care homes have closed across the country, reducing capacity and making it harder for families to access care, particularly in rural communities.
The UK Government’s decision to end the recruitment of overseas care workers, combined with a massive hike in employer National Insurance costs, has put further pressure on an already stretched sector.
Pay in social care has also struggled to keep pace with other sectors, making it increasingly difficult for care operators to attract and retain staff. Many providers warn that unless pay improves, the sector will struggle to recruit the workforce needed to meet rising demand.
A recent report by the charity Community Integrated Care highlights a significant pay gap between social care workers and their NHS counterparts. The findings reveal a 15 per cent pay gap, equivalent to £3,822 a year, between frontline social care workers in Scotland and NHS Band 3 employees doing similar work.
Parklands Managing Director, Ron Taylor, said, “The election presents an opportunity to rethink how social care is supported in Scotland.”
He’s set out four key commitments he wants candidates to endorse:
- Reform care funding to match the true cost of delivering complex care
- Pay frontline social care workers a minimum wage of £15 per hour
- Ensure social care pay awards keep pace with NHS pay
- Enable international recruitment for social care, especially in remote and rural areas
Mr. Taylor continued, “It’s time to fix social care. It plays a vital role in supporting older people and their families, as well as easing pressure on the NHS, yet the system is under real strain. Over the past decade, hundreds of care homes have closed across Scotland, many in remote and rural areas. That loss of capacity has real consequences for families trying to find care for a loved one.
The next Scottish Parliament has an opportunity to rethink how we fund and support social care. The four commitments we have outlined are practical steps to stabilise the sector, support the workforce, and ensure people can access care when they need it. Our employees and the families they support will want to know where each party stands on this vital issue.”
Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care, the umbrella body representing the independent social care sector in Scotland, said, “These proposals speak directly to what those who draw on care, their families, and our skilled workforce have been telling us for years. If we want a sustainable, dignified and human rights‑based care sector in Scotland, we must invest in the people and communities who make care possible. This election is a moment to choose fairness, realism and hope for social care.”
Parklands Care Homes operates 13 homes across the north and north-east of Scotland, employing almost 1,000 people who care for more than 500 residents.
Pictured: Parklands MD Ron Taylor (centre) with care staff (left to right) Emmeline Macpherson, Morna Coutts, Apple Rose Buenavista, Tega Ugah