Health secretary announces pay increase to real living wage for social care workers
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Health secretary Jean Freeman has said the significant drop in Covid-19 patients as it fell by 100 in 24 hours down to 1755 as she delivered the regular briefing from Edinburgh.
The majority of her address was given over to a new pay deal for social care workers which has been agreed between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla).
It means that those working in the sector will get an immediate pay rise at least to the minimum of the real living wage of £9.30 per hour as well as sick pay for those who are off work through illness or through self-isolation.
Ms Freeman also revealed that the National Records of Scotland (NRS) would release more detailed information about victims of the virus which will highlight where someone died amid calls for greater clarity on the numbers.
“When the next NRS report is published this week it will break down the figures by whether an individual has died in hospital, in a care home, at home or in another location,” she said.
“The NRS will also provide additional analysis by date of death for all deaths registered by April 5 while there is a timeline on that analysis it will help us better understand the spread of the virus throughout Scotland.
“I also want again to thank all of those working in our health and care sector for the incredible work you are doing but thanks is due not only to doctors and nurses but to the porters, the ambulance drivers, the cooks and cleaners in our NHS.
“In our social care settings everything you are doing right now is vital to the health of our country and all of us owe you a debt of gratitude. Specifically for those working in adult social care, I want to be absolutely clear that you are as important to me as workers in our health service.
“I also want to give those working in adult social care the certainty that they are valued. The Scottish government has reached an agreement with Cosla for a pay increase for adult social care workers with effect from the beginning of this month they will receive as a minimum the real living wage of £9.30 per hour.
“This agreement applies to all hours worked including sleep overs and it covers personal assistance, those carers whose work is funded by the local authority but who are employed directly by the person they care for.
“The Scottish Government and Cosla have also agreed funding for sick pay in cases where workers are ill or self-isolating, as some of you may know these contract rates are the subject of quite lengthy negotiations.
“Today’s agreement means there will be no delay and adult social carers will get a pay increase immediately.”
