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The social care workforce could be offered financial incentives to retrain and multi-skill if the government decides to push ahead with NHS-style reforms to the sector, writes Derren Hayes.

Community care minister Stephen Ladyman told attendees at a closed two day social care workforce conference last week that the government was trying to develop an ‘Agenda for Change’ for the whole sector.

Agenda for Change is the pay initiative due to be rolled out nationally in October for all directly employed NHS workers (except doctors, dentists and senior managers) that rewards them on average 12.5 per cent on top of basic pay over a three year period for taking on new responsibilities. It has enabled nurses to develop clinical skills and do work previously only done by doctors.

Other issues discussed at the conference, which was attended by employers, service providers and officials from the Departments of Health, Education and Skills and Work and Pensions, included pay and conditions, the status of the sector and training and qualifications.

One delegate said: “There was talk around developing a remuneration spine such as in the NHS, but there was recognition that this would be difficult when 70 per cent of the employers are from the private sector. The government is looking at trying to develop a compact that everyone would sign up to.”

Ian Johnston, director of the British Association of Social Work, said social workers would be prepared to take on more training for better rewards, but questioned how it would be paid for.

Proposals from the conference will feed into the new vision for adult social care and a revised health and social care pay and workforce strategy to be published later this year.