How is the government approaching fairer pay for social workers?

On Sunday 8 January, BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg interviewed Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, about the ongoing NHS crisis. 

Social care was highlighted as one of the many areas in need of improvement, with the average salary for social workers currently standing at £18,000 a year – almost 10k less than the average UK salary. 

When pressed on better pay for social workers, the Prime Minister said that the government is showing “appreciation” for carers by offering improved qualifications and training opportunities. 

“It’s not just about how much people are paid,” he added.  

Asked whether he would be willing to work as a social worker for just £18,000 a year, Sunak evaded the question and replied: “the job I’m doing is making a difference to the country.”

Although we are yet to see progress from the government, the discussion around fairer pay for social workers is an ongoing one. 

Community Integrated Care is a leader in this space, having recently launched its #UnfairToCare report which looks closely at the deep rooted issues of the social care workforce crisis. 

Last year, the charity used its research to prove that social work is in fact, a high skill profession which should be paid as such. The findings showed that social workers are undervalued by as much as 39%. That’s nearly £7,000 a year.

Here at Imperium Resourcing, we stand in solidarity with social workers across the UK and hope to see a day where your salary better reflects all the hard work you do day in, day out. 

If you’re a local authority looking for interim talent, get in touch with our specialist team today on 0203 929 4000 or drop us a line via [email protected].