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The Department of Health's director of care services today called on social care leaders to continue lobbying for increased funding for the sector, saying the message is being heard "loud and clear."

But Kathryn Hudson told delegates at the General Social Care Council's annual conference they had to back their case with solid evidence.

Her comments followed strongly worded criticisms from social care heads about chronic underfunding of the sector and low pay among staff.

Association of Directors of Social Services president Julie Jones said, "Pay and conditions of this workforce is lagging behind nurses, teachers and the police. Does that explain the recruitment and retention problems we have?"

Peter Beresford, chair of service user group Shaping our Lives, said, "Currently too often social care workers are treated as just needing shelf stacking skills. Social care is minimum wage work."

Director of adult services at Wiltshire Council Ray Jones described as "crazy" the fact that social care is taking on responsibility abandoned by health bodies to tackle their deficits, despite the much higher funding increases the NHS has enjoyed.