Sajid Javid tells care home staff ‘social care is as important as health care’

Secretary of state for health and social care Sajid Javid visited Aashna House Residential Care Home in Streatham yesterday (July 13) where he told staff that ‘social care is as important to him as health care.’

He met Smita Bhatt, the care home manager, and the rest of the executive team and carers.

He also met residents while they were taking part in activities, dance (Garba) painting and knitting, and spoke to staff about their working patterns during Covid-19.

On the visit, the health and social care secretary, Sajid Javid thanked care workers for their hard work and told staff that social care is as important to him as health care.

‘I’m in Aashna House in Streatham and one of the reasons I’m here is to thank the care home staff here and staff across the country for the incredible work they have been doing.

‘Their job is hard enough in normal times, but of course during the pandemic, it was so much harder. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for what they’re doing and let all care workers know they have the full support of this government.

‘During the pandemic we’ve helped them in so many ways with PPE, with testing equipment, with extra funding and that kind of support will continue.

‘And turning to reform, I am not just the health secretary, I am the health and social care secretary. All of that matters to me, so social care is as important to me as health care is.

‘And in dealing with the challenges of social care we’ve understood for a long time now as a government that more needs to be done.

‘We’ve set out our intention to have significant reform and my predecessor did a lot of work on that with his cabinet colleagues. I am continuing that work and it remains a huge priority for me.’

This comes after a report by Community Integrated Care revealed that social care workers earn 40% less than NHS peers.

A ground-breaking report has found that many frontline social care workers are undervalued by as much as 39%, nearly £7000 per year, in comparison to their peers in equivalent positions in other public-funded sectors.

With the social care sector losing more than 34% of its employees every year and having 112,000 vacancies presently, this research brings into stark focus the roots of an unprecedented workforce crisis.

Photo Credit – DHSC