Negotiating body for care workers to be set up

Care workers in England are to be represented in formal negotiations over pay, terms and conditions for the first time, after the government confirmed it will establish a new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body by the end of the year.

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The body, made up of employers and trade unions, will negotiate on behalf of the sector as part of the government’s first Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care. Ministers said the move, backed by £500 million for the first agreement in 2028-29, is designed to improve pay, tackle workforce shortages and boost recruitment and retention across the sector’s 1.5 million-strong workforce.

The negotiating body will allow employer and worker representatives to vote on issues including pay, terms and conditions, and wider employment matters, with an independent chair to be appointed in early 2027. The first round of negotiations is expected to begin in April 2027, with the first agreement taking effect from April 2028.

Care minister Stephen Kinnock said the reforms would address longstanding workforce challenges in social care.

“Our 1.5 million compassionate, dedicated and hard-working carers deliver a vital service,” he said. “For too long this workforce has been overlooked and forgotten, with care workers exploited by low pay and poor working conditions. This government is turning a page by giving care workers a voice and a fair deal.”

Alongside the Fair Pay Agreement, the government is expanding the Care Workforce Pathway to include almost all adult social care roles, including non-clinical positions such as catering, maintenance and activity co-ordination. The revised framework introduces 10 new role categories and is intended to provide clearer career progression across the sector.

The announcement was broadly welcomed by employers and unions, although both warned that sustained funding would be essential if the reforms were to succeed.

Oonagh Smyth, chief executive of Skills for Care, said: “The Fair Pay Agreement is a crucial step toward improving care roles and securing skilled staffing. Aligning the Fair Pay Agreement with the newly expanded Care Workforce Pathway will directly link fair pay to career development.”

The TUC said the agreement could help improve both workforce stability and standards of care. General secretary Paul Nowak said: “For too long care workers have been undervalued and underpaid for their vital work. The Fair Pay Agreement will help lift the floor of pay and conditions in the sector, but continued and increased funding will be essential to address the workforce challenges facing social care.”

RCN associate director of employment relations Brian Morton called the announcement a major step forward, adding: “Nursing and other staff in social care have experienced poorer pay, terms and conditions without the collective bargaining structures to raise their voice in direct negotiations.

But he warned: “Fair pay agreements cannot be delivered on goodwill alone. The government must ensure there is sufficient and sustainable funding for adult social care to support meaningful negotiations and implementation of any agreements reached. Without investment, there is a real risk that aspirations for higher pay and better employment standards will not be matched by the resources needed to deliver them.”

The reforms form part of the government’s plans to establish a National Care Service and follow wider investment in adult social care, including additional funding for the sector and measures aimed at supporting unpaid carers and strengthening workforce development.