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<p>The Department has not conducted any recent research on the effect of treatment
of staff on standards of care and on the relationship between levels of pay and quality
of social care services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the development
of Caring for our Future white paper in 2011, the Department undertook extensive engagement
with both service users and carers who highlighted a range of issues they felt needed
addressing to ensure high quality care and support is available. In addressing this,
the Department, working with the Sector Skills Council – Skills for Care – and other
partners, has implemented a range of policies that has included setting out clear
minimum training standards, recruiting more apprentices and supporting the transformation
of the social work profession.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There are a number of
factors that determine the quality of care provided in the social care sector, including
the way staff are treated. Pay is not the single most significant factor in delivering
high quality services.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Department is clear however
that care providers must abide by the law with regards to payment of the national
minimum wage and is taking steps to ensure this happens. The Department is liaising
with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to name and shame any social
care providers who do not comply with the national minimum wage legislation and Her
Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is continuing to carry out enforcement action in the
social care sector and will investigate all complaints made by care workers that their
employer is not paying them the national minimum wage. In addition, it is looking
to ensure that the statutory guidance that will accompany the Care Act on commissioning
and market shaping explicitly states local authorities should have evidence that contract
terms, conditions and fee levels are appropriate to provide the agreed care packages
with agreed quality of care.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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