In a speech in the Scottish Parliament, Constituency MSP, Jackie Baillie, called on the Cabinet Secretary for Health to ensure that social care staff across Scotland were paid the living wage for both day time and sleepover shifts.

The MSP highlighted the pledge by then Cabinet Secretary, Shona Robison, in October 2017 that additional money would be directed to health and social care partnerships (HSCPs) to ensure that the Living Wage would apply to staff providing night time cover.

Despite the announcement, and the funds being directed to the HSCPs, services have been commissioned for the full year without including payment of the Living Wage for sleepovers.

Jackie asked Jeane Freeman, Cabinet Secretary for Health to ensure that for the remainder of the year the money is paid for sleepovers to ensure that staff get their rightful wage. She also requested a guarantee that the policy would be fully fnded in 2019/20.

Jackie said:

“Hard working social care staff are the backbone of our care system. The SNP Government pledged to guarantee the Living Wage for social care staff providing sleepover cover, but some local authorities have failed to ensure that this is a reality.

“It is really simple, staff are not being paid what they were promised and that’s just not fair.

“I hope that the Cabinet Secretary for Health can ensure that the money which is intended for social care staff goes into their pockets without further delay.”

ENDS