Half employers won’t pay registration fees for residential and domiciliary staff

Half of employers would not pay the registration fees of residential and domiciliary care staff despite endemic low pay in the sector, the General Social Care Council’s consultation on the issue found.

Just over a quarter said they would pay the fee, originally proposed at £20 to £30 a year, with the rest undecided, said a report on the consultation, seen by Community Care.

In recommendations to government, published yesterday, the GSCC proposed a fee of £15 a year to protect low-paid staff.

More than 60 per cent of the 2,730 consultation respondents said unqualified staff should acquire a relevant care qualification before they re-register, a proposal the GSCC recommended to the Department of Health.