Welsh Government cracks down on zero-hour contracts in homecare

UNISON has welcomed the Welsh Government’s decision to curb the use of zero-hours contracts for thousands of homecare workers. Care providers are now required to give homecare workers a choice of contract after a three-month period of employment. New regulations also oblige those providers to ensure that time allocated for travel and care is ‘clearly and transparently set out’ – with the aim of tackling ‘call-clipping’ and preventing care time being cut short by travel time between visits. The move follows Welsh Government research that found a “substantial number” of Wales’s 18,000 homecare workers – possibly as many as 80% – were on zero-hours contracts. Social care minister Huw Irranca-Davies said that the new regulations “offer staff in the social care sector a fairer deal and help to safeguard the quality of care and support which people receive in their own homes. “There is a very clear link between the use of zero-hours contracts and a reduced quality of care, due to issues around the continuity of care and communication between workers and those they support. “These measures will ensure workers are offered a choice of contractual arrangements, Mr Irranca-Davies added. “Requiring providers to distinguish clearly between travel time and care time when arranging services will also improve the experience of people needing care.” The Welsh Government has also opened Social Care Wales’s workforce register to include home...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News care workers: your rights ethical care charter homecare workers residential care charter UNISON Cymru/Wales Source Type: news