Pay uplift commitment for Social Care and Childcare Staff

Private and voluntary sector staff working in Adult Social Care (ASC), Children’s Services (CS) and those who deliver funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) will receive at least £12 an hour under a new pledge made by the First Minister.

This uplift, announced in the First Minister’s first Programme for Government, will mean an increase of more than £2,000 a year for some staff in April 2024.

The £12 minimum pay rate represents an increase of 10.1% from the £10.90 minimum rate that was introduced in April 2023 for eligible staff in ASC and ELC.

For workers in CS who previously received National Minimum Wage, this increase will represent a minimum increase in pay of 15.2% compared to April 2023.

First Minister Humza Yousaf said:

“Up to 100,000 workers will benefit from this policy. They fulfil a vital role in society, and we are immensely grateful for the contribution they make. Pay and conditions are of great importance in the wellbeing and retention of the social care workforce, and that is why we are committing to make sure staff in these vital services are paid at least £12 per hour.

“Four out of five people who will benefit from this uplift in pay are female. Increasing pay not only helps the workforce in question, but will also help achieve our wider priorities on child poverty, fair work, and post-Covid recovery in the health and care sector.”

Background

The Scottish Government is working with COSLA and local authorities to support the implementation of this commitment and will set out further details in the coming months, building on the current guidance that supports implementation of the real Living Wage commitment. 

Currently the minimum paid wage for adult social care staff in Scotland is around £900 per year higher for full time staff in Scotland than it is for their counterparts in England.