Our fantastic care staff need more than applause

SOCIAL care workers are the unsung heroes in the struggle against COVID19.

Whilst health workers rightly receive praise and adulation – and I thank them for their incredible efforts – I also want to celebrate the work of our carers.

Care workers put themselves at risk everyday to provide care and support to high risk groups including the over-70s and people with underlying health conditions.

Over the coming weeks and months, they will go above and beyond to protect our families and loved ones.

Yet the truth is that they do not have the necessary support, equipment or resources to provide care, prevent the spread of the disease and protect our communities.

The privatised model of social care was already fundamentally flawed.

The requirement for private providers to maximise profit over care meant that there were already challenges around inadequate personal protection equipment (PPE) and poverty pay for care workers.

The threat of COVID-19 has exposed the underfunding and lack of preparedness and the whole social care system risks collapse.

Every day I hear from care workers that cannot obtain the correct gloves, masks or aprons.

Most are seeing more than 15 service-users a day and risk spreading the virus amongst vulnerable groups.

Many care workers who fall ill, or are forced to self-isolate or shield due in line with government advice, will only receive statutory sick pay which amounts to little over £94 per week.

It is wholly insufficient to provide for their families and will mean many care staff are forced to work when they should be at home because they just cannot afford to stay off.

Meanwhile, furloughed workers or the selfemployed – who are not risking their health supporting service-users every day – will receive 80 per cent of their normal salary.

Of course it’s right that their income is protected, but this support should be extended to our carers too.

Care workers need more than a round of applause every Thursday, they need real action in the form of proper funding, protection in the form of PPE and testing.

That’s why I’m supporting UNISON’s Care Workers vs COVID19 Campaign to give them the support, pay and resources they need to defeat COVID-19.

Never has it been clearer who our key workers are – and I call on Stockport Council to step up and adopt the Care Workers vs COVID-19 campaign demands – so our care workers get the support and solidarity they deserve.