Care home wage deal in doubt

A PLEDGE to hand thousands of care home workers a wage rise by next month is doomed, it was claimed last night.

Scottish Care, which represents the owners of private homes for the elderly, revealed deals to pay the living wage to 40,000 workers were in place in just seven council areas with only 12 days to go until a Scottish Government deadline.

Councils are meant to help foot the bill for the new £8.25-an-hour wage by increasing fees to home operators.

But Scottish Care claimed the majority of deals on offer were so derisory they would cause scores of homes to close.

Chief executive Dr Donald Macaskill said: “I informed our membership, were they to accept some of the rates on offer, within weeks they’d be out of business.

“The Scottish Government position is that it has allocated sufficient funds to each partnership to meet the cost of the living wage implementation.

“Either this is the case and it is individual councils who are dragging their heels, or there is a genuine shortfall which the Government needs to remedy.”

A spokesman for umbrella body Cosla said: “Cosla anticipate the living wage commitment being made by October 1.”

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: “We’re investing £250 million from the NHS to protect and grow our social care services, including paying adult care workers the real living wage from next month.

“Last week we wrote to commissioners to identify any issues, so further support could be provided.”