Sheffield social care staff pay questioned – “supermarket jobs pay better”

Sheffield councillors have questioned pay levels for workers in the social care sector, with one commenting that “jobs in supermarkets pay better”.
By Julia Armstrong, Local Democracy Reporter
Published 2nd Feb 2024, 17:16 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Councillors Mick Rooney and Ruth Milsom raised the issue during a meeting of Sheffield City Council’s adult health and social care policy committee (January 31).

Coun Rooney said: “There are jobs in supermarkets that pay better than the care sector does. There was talk of trying to create a career pathway for those that are in care.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Earlier in the meeting, Labour colleague Coun Milsom welcomed news of a care academy to provide training as a “really good idea”.

Coun Mick Rooney commented on low pay for social care staff at a meeting of Sheffield City Council\'s adult health and social care policy committee. Picture: Sheffield Council webcastCoun Mick Rooney commented on low pay for social care staff at a meeting of Sheffield City Council\'s adult health and social care policy committee. Picture: Sheffield Council webcast
Coun Mick Rooney commented on low pay for social care staff at a meeting of Sheffield City Council\'s adult health and social care policy committee. Picture: Sheffield Council webcast

She asked: “Will people feel the financial reward for the extra skills they learn?” Coun Milsom said it is important to put together an attractive package for the Sheffield workforce.

She was told that the council is looking to how to introduce the £12-an-hour foundation living wage for care staff – many work for outside providers. There is also a national programme looking at social care career progression pathways.

Frustrated

Coun Laura McClean said that she had spoken to a care home manager who is frustrated that he couldn’t pay staff more.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Sheffield Coun Ruth Milsom told a meeting that fees that Sheffield City Council pays to adult care providers need to rise in order to provide stability and better pay for workers. Picture: Sheffield Council webcastSheffield Coun Ruth Milsom told a meeting that fees that Sheffield City Council pays to adult care providers need to rise in order to provide stability and better pay for workers. Picture: Sheffield Council webcast
Sheffield Coun Ruth Milsom told a meeting that fees that Sheffield City Council pays to adult care providers need to rise in order to provide stability and better pay for workers. Picture: Sheffield Council webcast

The committee heard about progress being made on a three-year care sector workforce development strategy that was launched in 2023. The aim is to attract more people to the social care sector and to promote social care as a long-term career choice.

Get the latest headlines, straight to your inbox, with The Star’s free emails

The care academy will be set up this year, using an outside training provider at a cost of around £150,000, and run until 2026.

The report said that providing free learning and development for care providers in Sheffield “would allow providers to invest more in staff wages and help us to move towards the foundation living wage”.

There is also a council ‘fair cost of care’ plan to increase the sums the council pays to outside providers of social care, to help them meet the increased cost of the government’s decision to increase the real living wage to £11.44 an hour for workers aged 21 and over from April. The plan will cost £840,000.

The council is also introducing support for staff to stay healthy at work.

Related topics:SheffieldCouncillorsSheffield City CouncilLabour