Local authorities are lobbying Welsh Government for increased pay for care workers Ceredigion councillors are told in response to a proposal to use reserves locally.
Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet received feedback from recent a healthier communities overview and scrutiny committee where a call for the possibility of using council reserves to provide an “innovative funding package” for recruiting and supporting domiciliary care workers was passed after the majority of members abstained in a vote.
Chairman Cllr Bryan Davies told the meeting on Tuesday (November 1) that the abstentions were not due to a lack of support for the proposal to increase pay but was down to members wanting more information, “a bit more flesh on the bones as it were.”
Council leader Cllr Ellen ap Gwyn said that it was not possible to “dip” into reserve funds for salary cost which require revenue funding, adding “I don’t think anybody would disagree wit the idea of increasing pay.”
Welsh Government also agreed said Cllr ap Gwynn but there had been no information about future funding, although a meeting was planned for later in the day with Welsh cabinets and Cardiff officials about social services, and pay was on the agenda.
“Officers would be delighted to increase salaries but that’s not practical or possible from reserve funds. We are working through the WLGA to lobby the Welsh Government to increase salaries of carers as they have done with teachers in the past,” said Cllr ap Gwynn.
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