Social care director opens pay debate

The incoming national director for social care has refused to rule
out a change in the way social workers’ pay and conditions are
negotiated.

Speaking to Community Care, Kathryn Hudson stressed the
need to look at different ways of working.

“One of the problems we know we have at the moment is recruitment
and retention to social workÉ You have to look at how best you
might address that,” Hudson said.

“It’s something that every local authority department, certainly in
London and possibly all over the country, is dealing with on a
daily basis. And the more you get a national focus on that, the
more that is going to help us sort out the difficulties. But how
that is done is very much something we can talk about.”

Her comments followed the launch by health secretary John Reid last
week of the NHS Employers’ Organisation, which will take over
responsibility for workforce issues including NHSpay and
conditions.

Social workers’ pay and conditions are currently negotiated
alongside that of other local government employees by the
Employers’ Organisation and trade unions.