As a care provider and a charity that campaigns to improve the lives of people with a learning disability , we want to pay tribute to everyone working in social care , shine a light on their motivation to give back to society and showcase the breadth of skill required to support people with a learning disability. 

In our Why We Care report, we share the findings from our survey with hundreds of frontline workers, highlighting what it’s really like to work in social care, why so many are leaving the sector and we make recommendations on how it can be fixed. 

At Mencap, we provide frontline care to more than 4,000 people with a learning disability and every day it is a privilege to see how our dedicated and compassionate staff enrich and add value to the lives of people they support and their families. 

Sometimes they are helping people achieve huge milestones, supporting them to go to college, set up home or get a job. Other times they are showing acts of kindness which might seem small but make a huge difference to the people we support. Our social care workers, who are doing such a crucial and important job, are facing huge challenges because of the lack of funding for social care. 

Local authority finances are in a perilous state. They are only able to pay social care providers from the funding they are able to raise themselves and that they get from central government. Sector-wide low pay combined with the rising cost of living means many people working in social care are having to cut back on basic necessities or work long hours to make ends meet. 

Hundreds of thousands are leaving the sector each year and this then puts pressure on existing staff to plug the gaps. 

People with a learning disability and their families are missing out too, unable to access the full amount of care they need because there aren’t enough staff. Sometimes families will shoulder the care themselves or people with a learning disability will find their life is limited without support to make friends or get out into the community .

Like 90 per cent of the public, we believe those working in social care do not get the recognition they deserve.

We are launching our Why We Care campaign, to raise the profile of our brilliant support workers. 

We are calling on all political parties to commit to:  

  • A national Long-Term Plan for social care workforce.  
  • An £8.4 billion immediate cash injection into social care.  
  • A minimum pay for social care staff that reflects similar roles in the NHS (band 3).
  • A cap on agency charging.

We urge people to sign our petition. Sign it if you work in the social care sector, if you or your loved one receives social care or if you simply believe we should live in a society where people with a learning disability are supported to live the life they deserve. By coming together and campaigning for change we can show that we care about those who care. 
 

Jackie O’Sullivan 
Acting Chief Executive, Mencap