Royal College of Nursing Joins Citizens UK Call for Improved Social Care
The Royal College of Nursing has signed up to support the Citizens UK Social Care Charter, which calls for an end to fifteen minute home care visits, a Living Wage for care workers and training to nationally-accredited and evidence-based standards.
The Citizens UK, Charter of Good Practice for Care Providers and Commissioners spells out the basic standards that would enable quality care for recipients and dignity for the worker. The Charter was developed with adult social care experts and recipients of care. The Charter has so far been signed by a number of home care agencies and residential care providers and care commissioners, including Nottingham City Council and the London tri-borough alliance of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith councils, who all aspire to see the social care system overhauled to allow for delivery of these standards.
Dr Peter Carter, Chief Executive & General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said:
“We are happy to add the Royal College of Nursing to the list of signatories of the Citizens UK Care Charter, which is calling for much-needed improvements to our social care system.
“Nursing staff often find themselves picking up the pieces of the struggling care system. Older people in particular sometimes end up in hospital as a result of inadequate social care or become stuck on wards unnecessarily as they wait for appropriate care services to be arranged to enable them to be safely discharged.
“The Care Charter identifies the need to properly recognise and value the role of the care worker and support the thousands of workers who are committed to helping some of the most vulnerable in our society. An integrated health and social care system with adequate funding is the right thing for any government to deliver.”
Since the Charter’s launch at a tea party in Parliament Square earlier this year, which was attended by Norman Lamb MP, the first national care provider, Abbeyfield, has signed up to the Charter and become an accredited Living Wage employer. Members of national community organising charity, Citizens UK, will be asking prospective parliamentary candidates and MPs to pledge their support for the Charter in the lead up to the General Election.
Charlotte Wood, chair Nottingham Citizens Social Care Team and Citizens UK Council co-chair said:
“Having lived in a residential care home and now in receipt of home care I personally have witnessed the importance of excellent care and the challenges and tragedy when the care system fails. Citizens UK is committed to working with all sectors of the industry to bring about real change for those in need of care. Put simply everyone in receipt of care should have a known carer with enough time and training to do their job well and be paid a fair wage for it.”