Stirling Council Adopt UNISON Ethical Care Charter

  Striling Council adopts Ethical Care Charter

Stirling are the latest council to adopt UNISON’s Ethical Care Charter. They join half a dozen of so councils in Scotland who have agreed to establish a minimum baseline for the safety, quality and dignity of care by ensuring employment conditions for social care workers.

Adoption of the charter guarantees appropriate pay, training and working standards for care workers. Stirling Council will implement the living wage, agree clear procedures for following up care concerns and schedule visits so that workers are not forced to rush their time with clients.

The Charter improves social care for our most vulnerable people in the community

Lorraine Thomson, secretary of UNISON Stirling branch, said, “We are delighted that Stirling Council have now adopted unison Ethical care Charter. Social care workers provide a lifeline service for vulnerable people. Signing up to the UNISON charter shows commitment to a highly skilled workforce and those they care for.

“The workforce deserve fair work, better pay and ethical employment practices. This charter will help improve standards and retain highly valued staff in all homecare providers across Stirling. By signing up to the Ethical Care Charter, Stirling Council have demonstrated a shared commitment to ensure improved quality of care for some of the most vulnerable people in Stirling.”

To witness the signing of the charter, council leaders were joined by UNISON social care workers: Diane Gardner (Care Co-ordinator) and Agnes Addison, Sandra Black, Jane Timpson, Katrina Parker (Re-ablement Workers); William Graham (Social Care Assistant), Tom Hill (Support Partner, Streets Ahead).

Convener of Social Care and Health Committee, and Leader of Stirling Councillor Scott Farmer, said, “I am delighted that Stirling Council has signed up to the Ethical Care Charter. We aim to ensure the recruitment and retention of a stable workforce by rewarding homecare workers properly for the vital services they provide every day, through more sustainable pay, conditions, fair work practices and training levels.

“This commitment demonstrates that the council value the brilliant service that each and every one of our care workers provide, and that the care our residents receive should always be of the highest quality. The standard we set is that we want vulnerable people across the region to receive the same care that we would all want for our loved ones.”

The Charter was developed by UNISON following concerns raised about the standards of homecare vulnerable people were getting. Research highlighted fears that poor terms and conditions for staff were leading to lower standards of care for mostly elderly and vulnerable people who use homecare services. This means that UNISON has recognised the high standards of care delivered and the emphasis on recruiting and retaining homecare staff.

The charter is a means to ensure care workers have the time they need with clients rather than be restricted to specific time slot’s. The over-riding objective behind the Charter is to ensure we do not routinely short change clients and ensure the recruitment and retention of a more stable workforce through more sustainable pay, conditions and training levels.

UNISON is delighted that Stirling Council have adopted the Ethical care Charter. We know many other councils across Scotland are putting in plans so they can follow suit. the charter will do much to imporve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our community.