The commission will receive a response to the Adult Social Care Scrutiny Commission’s recommendations relating to the Living Wage.
Minutes:
Councillor Rita Patel, Assistant City Mayor, Adult Social Care updated the commission on the Executive Response to the commission’s recommendations on the living wage. Assistant City Mayor Patel made the following points:
· Adult Social Care had a commitment to the principles of the Charter, but there was an issue at the moment as to how the living wage element of the charter could be implemented as this was currently unaffordable.
· In response to the recommendation that as part of the tendering process, care providers be asked to provide details of pay rates for staff, the council already asked for evidence that the providers paid staff the minimum wage.
· In response to the request that the council consider reviewing the job description for care providers’ senior care staff, she stated that it was not the local authority’s role to determine job descriptions for local providers. The council did not do this for any of their providers.
· The Deputy City Mayor was preparing to make an announcement on the Living Wage issue, and while the Assistant City Mayor had been in discussions with the Deputy, she was not currently in a position to talk about the details of that announcement.
· In response to the query relating to the Islington Council, it was not known how they had achieved their Living Wage Foundation Licence.
A member commented that the commission were not asking for the full cost of adopting the Ethical Care Charter, estimated to be £10m, to be funded immediately, but for ways in which the council could progress the issue. If there was an agreement in principle, there could be a plan for working towards implementation of the charter. Assistant City Mayor Patel responded that there was increasing demand for Adult Social Care services and it was important to ensure that the needs of people were met. It was therefore difficult for the department at this moment in time to commit to implementing the charter in full; however there was a commitment to help the care workers. It was hoped that over the next three years, the council would be in position to start progressing on this issue. As contracts came up for renewal, the council’s financial situation could be assessed. However, the fact that the council was paying its own workforce the living wage, showed the commitment to this issue.
Members questioned the cost to start to implement the living wage for staff employed by providers, and also queried whether there might be legal issues if this was brought in piecemeal.
The Commission heard that it was anticipated that there would be an announcement as to how the council were adopting the principles from the Ethical Care Charter and was seeking accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation. Members agreed that as this was a city-wide issue, this should particular issue should be referred to the Overview Select Committee.
The Chair then concluded the discussion and expressed disappointment that an action plan as recommended by the commission had not been devised and also that information had not been forthcoming on how Islington Council had achieved their Living Wage Foundation Licence.
RESOLVED:
1) that the commission reiterate their recommendation made at their meeting on 8 January 2015, that the Executive devise an action plan to take into account their concerns and comments raised in relation to the Living Wage in Adult Social Care;
2) that information relating to how Islington Council achieved their Living Wage Foundation Licence over the past three years, particularly in relation to Adult Social Care, be brought to the commission; and
3) that the intention to seek accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation should be referred to the Overview Select Committee for consideration at its next meeting on 23 March 2015.