12 February 2026

Government decision on social care pay welcome – now more must be done to ‘fund social care like it matters’ 

CCPS welcomes the Scottish Government’s announcements today that it has committed to provide £20m of additional funds to meet Real Living Wage commitments in social care

CCPS welcomes the Scottish Government’s announcement today, following budget negotiations with the Scottish Liberal Democrats, that it has committed to provide £20m of additional funds to meet Real Living Wage commitments in social care.

We are also pleased to hear the clarification from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance that this money will be provided explicitly to underpin commitments to staff pay in adult and childcare services in commissioned providers, such as those not-for-profit providers represented by CCPS. 

Following intensive influencing work by CCPS, our members, and partners – including our call to Fund Social Care Like It Matters – today represents a significant victory, and confirms the effectiveness of our collective voice.

We are pleased that we have been heard clearly by Scottish Ministers and are grateful to opposition MSPs from the Liberal Democrats, Labour, Greens, and Conservatives for engaging with us over the past month and helping us influence the government on this issue. We hope that this can be fully endorsed through the passage of the Budget Bill.

On January 13, the government published its draft budget, revealing it had unilaterally changed the way it funds pay for frontline staff in social care providers contracted to provide public services. We understood this would leave an estimated £19 million funding gap from April this year, which the sector would be expected to fund out of its own pocket.

This came at a time when our members were already being forced to scale back services and rely on reserves to reach financial balance. They simply did not have the resources to cover what would be a major funding shortfall.

CCPS’s CEO Rachel Cackett, said: “I am glad that the Scottish Government has listened to the evidence from CCPS and its provider members and now understands the devastating impact this decision could have had on the ground for supported people, staff and the entire sustainability of our sector

“This decision to include additional funds in the budget will – assuming it is passed – stave off a terrible position for everyone who needs, and works in, social care. I appreciate the leadership involved in correcting a mis-step in the original budget. And I must also be clear that this now takes us back to the position we thought we were in when the budget was published: a settlement that is still far short of meeting the needs of supported people or the value of skilled, regulated support staff.

“After the last month, there is work needed to rebuild trust with key providers in social care, as core partners in public service. And there is much more to do to design a settlement that will stabilise our sector, then allow it – and supported people – to thrive.

“CCPS remains open to working in genuine collaboration to achieve that. But for today we will take a moment to breathe with our members, who at least have some certainty now that the government has made this move. We now hope that the budget will pass with at least these additional funds included, because we need this government – and the next – to fund social care like it matters.”

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11 February 2026

CCPS launches new budget campaign: Fund social care like it matters

We’re calling on the Scottish Government to reverse its budget decision which could create an estimated £19 million funding shortfall in the social care sector

VIDEO: ‘Fund social care like it matters’ 

The Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland (CCPS) is calling on the Scottish Government to reverse a decision made in this year’s budget which is estimated to create a funding shortfall of around £19 million across the social care sector. 

When the Scottish Budget was published on January 13, it was revealed that the government had unilaterally changed the way it funds pay for frontline staff in public sector-commissioned social care services. 

This means the sector is now expected to plug a funding gap of around £19 million out of its own pocket – and the money just isn’t there. 

Watch our short explainer on the budget’s funding shortfall. 

The government’s policy is for staff in commissioned services to receive at least the Real Living Wage (RLW), and it has – until now – ringfenced an annual pay fund in the budget which enables providers to meet costs as the RLW rises. 

Yet without any prior consultation with providers in CCPS’s membership, the Scottish Government changed the way it calculates the pay fund in this year’s budget.  

If this decision goes ahead, it will result in a funding gap which CCPS members have begun to estimate as increasing costs of between £30,000 and £740,000 for their different sized organisations over a single year. 

Social care providers are not supermarkets – they can’t simply raise prices to cover additional costs. And with rising financial pressures, providers are already being forced to scale back services and rely on reserves to reach financial balance. 

When people can’t access social care support, it impacts their health and wellbeing and adds strain to other public services, including the NHS. Yet with social care providers in an already perilous situation, the Scottish Government has decided to add further pressure.  

But it’s not too late for the government to change this.  

Before the final budget vote on February 25, it can reverse this decision and give social care the investment it needs to thrive.  

We’re asking the Scottish Government to: 

  • Fund social care like it matters 
  • Return the £19 million 
  • Recommit to Fair Work in social care 

All of this would help rebuild trust with care providers, and mean the government could take an important step towards delivering its commitment to prevention, taking pressure off the NHS, and supporting people all over Scotland to live life on their own terms

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17 December 2024

“I support a deafblind man to go to football. What I see, I draw on his hand … Every kick of the ball.”

Member Case Study: DeafBlind Scotland Guide/Communicator Christine Lawler on her role and the difference improved pay would make

DeafBlind Scotland is Scotland’s national charity and principal authority on meeting the complex needs of individuals living with deafblindness. Here, one of the charity’s Guide/Communicators, Christine Lawler, discusses her role – and the difference that improved pay would make to her and the people she supports

“In my job I never have a typical day. You can arrive at someone’s house and their plans have gone awry. I could be supporting someone to play chess in the morning, then in the afternoon support them to go shopping, study at college, attend a social work meeting or attend medical appointments and co-work with interpreters. I support their communication, their guiding, their mobility, their medical appointments.

Anything you want to do in your daily life, I support and enable deafblind people to do what they want. The individuals I support may not know it’s raining out, what’s in the news, basic information and it is part of my role to give them what I can see and hear at all times.

Although I’m within ‘social care’, I’m a guide communicator and a deafblind manual interpreter. But people don’t necessarily recognise the importance of my role. It’s about supporting and enabling someone live independently in their own home. They don’t know that they’ve run out of milk or that their bread’s mouldy… I support them to write a shopping list and while we are out I give full information on what offers are there as well as information on prices, ingredients and cooking times etc.  Without this they can’t make informed choices. Information giver is one of the main things I have to be. I have to see, hear, tell them what’s there. I do that constantly.

Trust and confidentiality is so crucial for deafblind people. They have to trust that I will do my best to support them in whatever they wish to do

Some of the public recognise what I do and the vital importance of it especially at the football. I support a deafblind man to go to football, but he doesn’t sit in the disabled area. He’s not disabled in any way at football. He’s one of the Bhoys. What I see on that pitch I draw on his hand. Every single kick of the ball. Who’s playing, who scores, who’s taking the corners. Everything happens for him at the exact same time. In that situation, he may be deafblind – but he is himself, supporting his team. He just needs that additional support.

That relational aspect of the role is so important. I tend to support individuals who are profoundly deaf and fully blind who have acquired deafblindness. They are aware that I follow DBS policies and procedures and codes of practice linked to SSSC.  They have trust in our professional relationship that I won’t overstep boundaries.

If the Scottish Government were to increase hourly pay it would certainly make me feel more valued in what I do. On average it takes six years to be a well-trained guide communicator. I have been studying over the course of nine years. I can go to Lidl or Sainsburys and get more an hour but I’ve worked hard to be where I am and I still work hard to keep up standards. I want to better myself because many deafblind people need this level of communication and if I can’t match that, I’m letting everyone down.

But I’d like to be recognised for the studying and effort I’ve put in – achieving the BSL level 6, Deafblind Manual Interpreting qualification and my Diploma in DeafBlind Studies, which is affiliated with Birmingham University, and which alone took two years.

The impact of all this training on deafblind people is about trust and them knowing that I am giving them the right information. And if I can’t give them this, they can’t make informed decisions.

I want deafblind people to be seen as part of society and part of their own community. That’s so important to them – to be seen and heard in their world; to feel they have worth.”

Find out more about DeafBlind Scotland

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2 December 2024

It’s time to give the gift of Fair Pay…

As we enter Budget season, we’ve launched a campaign urging Scottish Government to invest in the workforce and cover the costs of the NI rise

Social care staff deliver vital public services in communities across Scotland, and they should be paid more than the minimum it costs to live.

They are working in a context where public sector cuts, lack of Fair Work and impending changes to Employers’ National Insurance are risking the viability of many services.

So we’ve launched a campaign urging the Scottish Government to give them More Than Warm Words this winter.

For the 2025-26 Budget we’re calling on them to:

  • Take a genuine first step towards the promise of Fair Work. Invest in our people by committing to the Real Living Wage + 10% in 2025-26, as the minimum for all frontline support staff. Stop the loss of essential workers
  • Cover the full costs of ongoing eNICs changes for not-for-profit social care providers, even if Westminster won’t. Otherwise, watch services disappear, unemployment rise, unmet need increase and the NHS crisis worsen.

Across the Scottish Budget period, we’ll be sharing messages and videos from our members in support of the campaign.

We’ve sent our members, and parliamentarians, a mug emblazoned with the campaign message.

And we’ll be calling on MSPs to speak up for the social care workforce and help give them the gift of Fair Pay.

Read the Budget briefing we sent MSPs

Read our press release about the letter we sent the Chancellor on NI

Follow the campaign on our social channels with #MoreThanWarmWords

For more information about the campaign and how to take part, email of Communications & Engagement team: comms@ccpscotland.org

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24 September 2024

‘Welcome focus on rights and people, but government’s winter plan will meet hard reality’

CCPS’s CEO Rachel Cackett responds to today’s publication of the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Winter Preparedness Plan 2024-25

Responding to publication today of the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Winter Preparedness Plan 2024-25, CCPS’s CEO Rachel Cackett said:

“We welcome an emphasis on people and rights at the start of the Scottish Government’s Winter Preparedness Plan, published today. We are also encouraged to see that our members – not for profit social care providers working in communities throughout Scotland – are acknowledged as an integral, vital part of the system.

“It’s true that the Scottish government cannot address the crisis in our sector effectively, and ensure people who need support can have their rights upheld, without finding shared solutions in partnership with us.

“However, we are concerned that the plan does not capture the reality of what is taking place on the ground and the experiences reported by our members on a daily basis, particularly around the absence of progress on delivery of Fair Work. We are also concerned that some solutions listed won’t be ready to deliver improvements for people this winter.

“In the depths of last winter, 82% of CCPS members who responded to a survey described service demand as ‘high’ or ‘extremely high’, with referrals well beyond capacity to respond. By the end of last winter, 83% of responding members stated they were providing a public service despite a deficit budget.

“Since then many of our members report an ever greater squeeze on the budgets they are given to provide a public service for the people of Scotland.

“Despite all this, the word ‘investment’ is completely missing from the publication. For providers already struggling with capacity and a lack of funding to meet people’s needs, this is a stark omission – and makes it hard to see how this plan will address the social care crisis for people before winter starts.”

Read the plan here

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5 September 2024

Tracking Real Living Wage on pay ‘disrespects professional workforce and will not advance government’s other commitments’

Our CEO Rachel Cackett responds to yesterday’s publication of the 2024-25 Programme for Government

Responding to yesterday’s publication of the 2024-25 Programme for Government, our CEO Rachel Cackett said:

“We welcome and acknowledge the First Minister’s pledge in the Programme for Government to eradicate child poverty and the priority given to this. We urge him to ensure that the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund is aligned to delivery of The Promise, previous commitments to funding are kept, and for the government to work with the sector to ensure this is achieved.”

“What about progress on pay and Fair Work for the sector though? We were incredibly surprised to not hear the First Minister mention social care at all in his speech to parliament. Deep in the full text of the Programme for Government the document mentions prioritising funding in 2024-25 in order to:

‘increase the pay of workers in adult social care who are delivering direct care in commissioned services, early learning and childcare workers delivering funded hours, and children’s social care workers, so that they are paid at least the Real Living Wage from April 2025’.

“We are extremely disappointed that, despite having signed up to the recommendations of 2019’s Fair Work in Social Care Report, the Scottish Government still appears to believe that, on sector pay for those in not-for-profit organisations, tracking the Real Living Wage and no more is sufficient. It is not.

“The reality is that this approach disrespects a professional, regulated workforce and will do nothing to advance the government’s other stated commitments on growing the economy, ensuring high quality and sustainable public services, and reducing poverty.

“On 10 July, we wrote to the First Minister challenging the Scottish Government to fund a fair 2025-26 pay deal for staff in our sector who deliver public services to the people of Scotland.

“We presented compelling evidence from our members about current intolerable pressures on not-for-profit social care, and explained why investing in the sector would mean investment in a whole-system solution. And we made the case for investment in staff – mostly women – to take forward the Fair Work agenda and value their contribution to communities across Scotland.

“We have yet to receive a reply, but yesterday’s announcement tells us that provider organisations, care and support workers in our not-for-profit social care sector – and most of all – people who need care and support continue to be overlooked in the government’s plans.”

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CCPS Insights Podcasts on ethical commissioning and procurement

We’ve launched a series of podcasts focusing on the vital issue of ethical commissioning, with experts from across the sector sharing their views.

Our new series of podcasts features a range of experts sharing their views on the ethical commissioning principles developed by the Scottish Government.

The principles were introduced to promote the move to more collaborative, outcomes-based commissioning and procurement practices that support high quality, person-centred care, fair work, sustainability for providers and real choice and control for individuals under Self Directed Support (SDS).

Introducing the podcasts, Catherine Garrod, CCPS’s Programme Manager (Commissioning and Procurement), said:

“If fully implemented, CCPS believes that the ethical commissioning principles could make a real difference to the way that social care support is commissioned (planned), procured (purchased) and delivered.

“A move away from traditional price-based competition to greater collaboration and outcomes-focussed commissioning and contracting will lead to better outcomes for individuals, support that meets people’s needs, greater sustainability for third sector support providers and a workforce that is fully valued and rewarded for the work that they do.”

“Our new podcasts feature provocative and thoughtful discussion of these issues from a variety of expert voices. We hope they’ll be of interest to CCPS members and everyone in our sector committed to delivering on our shared vision for ethical commissioning in social care.”

The podcasts are produced by Spreng Thomson and hosted by Dylan Macdonald. They were commissioned by the CCPS Commissioning and Procurement Programme, which is funded by Scottish Government. See below list of episodes.

1. Overview of ethical commissioning principles and why they matter

In this first episode, we hear contributions from Dr Catherine Needham, Professor of Public Policy and Public Management at the University of Birmingham, Rachel Cackett CEO of CCPS, and Andrea Wood, Convener of CCPS and CEO of the social care provider Key.

Introducing the topic, Catherine and Rachel share their views, experiences and learning regarding ethical commissioning and the impact it has for the sector, as well as everyone involved in social care. Later in the episode Andrea Wood discusses the importance of procurement principles, touching on many of the aspects explored by Catherine and Rachel.

2. Person Centred Care, SDS, supporting a diverse market of support

The second podcast features contributions from Pauline Lunn, CEO of In Control Scotland, Linda Tuthill, CEO of The Action Group, and Des McCart, Senior Programme Manager Improvement Hub (ihub) at Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

The group look at the importance of having a diverse market of support for individuals to choose from and why it is vital people are involved in the decision-making behind their support provider and support needs.

3. Fair Work in practice and financial transparency

On this episode, we hear from Anna Fowlie, CEO of SCVO and Viv Dickenson, Chief Executive of CrossReach.

The discussion focusses on how changes to the way support is commissioned, procured and contracted can help deliver fair work. The contributors also discuss the positive impact that can come from embedding fair work in contracts and sustainable rates, and the value of effective training and workforce development.

4. Principles on high quality care and outcomes for individuals

This episode explores high quality care, with Dylan Macdonald’s guests discussing how to support the move to outcomes-based commissioning and contracting and a focus on quality, not price.

Joining the debate are Geoff Mark and Innes Turner from the Care Inspectorate, part of Scottish Government, alongside Toby Lowe, Visiting Professor at Centre for Public Impact.

5. Examples of good practice

For the final episode, we hear from Amy Hurst, Head of Practice at Collaborate CIC, SallyAnn Kelly OBE, Chief Executive Officer at Aberlour, and Gary Wallace, Public Health Specialist at Plymouth City Council.

The spotlight is on good practice examples across the care sector and the positive impact of moving to an ethical commissioning approach.

Listen to all episodes on Spotify 

Find out more about CCPS’s Commissioning and Procurement Programme

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27 February 2024

“We won’t give up in our Fair Work calls”

Comment: Rachel Cackett responds to the passing of the 2024-25 Budget and its implications for not for profit social care providers

Responding to today’s Stage 3 debate in parliament and the passing of the 2024-25 Budget, Rachel Cackett, CEO of CCPS, said:

“Social care was conspicuous by its absence in the Budget debate this afternoon. We are deeply disappointed to see no movement on the £12ph pay announcement for our not-for-profit member organisations.

“Paying skilled social care staff no more than the Real Living Wage will continue to undermine recruitment and retention.

“Ultimately, this will have profoundly negative implications for people who need support and their carers, for the NHS, for our economy and for any aspiration of equality and opportunity.

“To CCPS members who have campaigned for better: a huge thank you, and we won’t give up in our calls for #FairWork.”

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20 February 2024

“Some days, it feels like we literally hold people’s lives in our hands”

As part of our Rethink To 13 series, a support practitioner in Sense Scotland’s short breaks service tells us about the impact a pay increase to £13 would have on her, the workforce – and the people they support

“As a support practitioner in a respite unit for young people and adults with complex needs, I wear many hats, and perform so many roles in a day. I am carer, friend, cook, nurse, driver, emotional/physical outlet, entertainer, advocate, teacher, family, to name a few.

Some days, it feels like we literally hold people’s lives in our hands. I am paid the Living Wage for only one of these roles. Raising the wage to at least £13 an hour would not only allow us to feel more appreciated and valued within these roles, it would encourage experienced staff to stay within the care sector.

We do this job to the best of our ability and because we care. But in turn, we also need to feel that we are cared for. My role requires me to be registered with the SSSC, a professional body. However, we still are classed as unskilled workers. The roles we perform are anything but unskilled.

I have stayed with people in their hour of need, providing end of life care, ensuring they are not alone and feel safe and loved. Not because my role required this, but because this is what everyone deserves.

Raising the hourly rate of pay would lead to a happier, less stressed workforce, allowing us to focus on the care that the people receiving support deserve. This would enable them to have more confidence in the people caring for them and offer a happier, more positive experience of care.

It would also encourage others to look into a career in care, offering more diversity, skills and experience, which would enhance the level of service we can provide for the people we support.”

Find out more about Sense Scotland

Read more about our Rethink To 13 campaign

 

 

 

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13 February 2024

Rethink To 13 interview: “Our work deserves recognition. £13 an hour would be a step forward”

Continuing our campaign calling on the government to rethink its Budget, Dementia Care Worker Jacqui says that upping pay would ultimately improve the quality of care and support people receive

“I’m Jacqui, a Dementia Care Worker at the Mungo Foundation. Every day I see the impact that our staff have on the lives of the people we support and their families. Our work deserves recognition, appreciation and a fair wage. A wage of £13/hour would be a positive step in the right direction.

I have been working as a Dementia Care worker at Bankhall Court for over a decade. My role involves providing personalised care for individuals with dementia, focusing on enhancing their quality of life. Whether it’s personal care or emotional support and companionship, I approach every interaction with empathy and compassion that is tailored to their individual needs.

I believe that my contributions have been invaluable to the people I care for. My support and companionship make people feel valued and supported, positively impacting their overall wellbeing. Increasing my pay to £13 per hour would make a significant difference in my ability to provide even better care. It would alleviate financial stress, enabling me to focus on the needs of the people I support without distraction.

I hold multiple qualifications essential to providing high-quality care. However, I do not believe that my skills are adequately recognised in my current pay. £13 an hour would make a significant difference in people’s lives. It would allow our organisation to recruit more staff, alleviating the strain on the current workforce. Ultimately improving the quality of care and support that people receive.

It’s important to remember that around 90,000 people in Scotland have dementia, and two thirds of people with dementia live at home. By paying social care staff £13 an hour, the Scottish Government can ensure that people are receiving the high-quality care that they deserve.”

Find out more about the Mungo Foundation

Read about our Rethink To 13 campaign

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