Carer shortage: £23m support package for domiciliary carers announced

Concern has been growing about a shortage of staff in the sector

A £23m support package to improve pay for domiciliary care and care home staff in Northern Ireland has been announced by the health minister.

The funding will allow employers to offer improved rates of pay, with the aim of attracting more staff to the sector, the Department of Health said.

Concern has been growing about staff shortages in the home care sector.

Some independent providers have warned they may not be able to sustain services.

Health Minister Robin Swann said the package had been developed following detailed engagement with the sector.

He said: "I am confident the funding will facilitate increased capacity across the social care sector for the remainder of 2021-22.

"A longer-term solution is self-evidently needed, involving multi-year budgets and a durable financial settlement for all health and social care services."

The minister added that he will shortly be launching a consultation on the future of adult social care.

He said: "As I have repeatedly stated, social care needs a long-term programme of both investment and reform.

"While there are many competing demands on Northern Ireland's public finances, this has to be a priority in the coming years."

Health Minister Robin Swann said the package had been developed following detailed engagement with the sector

The funding package has been welcomed by the Independent Health and Care Providers (IHCP), a group representing the industry.

The chief executive of IHCP, Pauline Shepherd, said it was a step in the right direction.

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Ms Shepherd said: "There needs to be a full economic review of the cost of care, but this will go some way in helping to be able to retain and recruit staff.

"Obviously there is going to be a time delay in that because when you advertise posts it's going to take some time to fill them.

"The purpose of the extra funding is in order to increase wages appropriately and recruit and reward people in both care homes and home care.

"We need to be able to compete and be able to offer an appropriate wage that recognises people working in care actually have a more demanding job."