Press release: Dismissals and understaffing

Today is a sad day for all of us working in social care. We say goodbye to over 50,000 of our colleagues and with them a wealth of experience and commitment, which is immeasurable. The people we support have lost friendly faces, which they have known for years, and our colleagues have lost their livelihoods after giving so much during the height of the pandemic.

Covid-19 continues to take lives of so many in our communities, care homes remain understaffed and thousands of disabled people in our communities struggle to find staff and have their basic needs be met.

We are in crisis.

We know that there are already 112,000 vacancies within a crumbling sector which struggles to recruit are retain staff. Today, with the government legislation on mandatory vaccinations coming into force, thousands of our colleagues have been dismissed without any remuneration. We at Care and Support Workers Organise (CaSWO) would like to thank them for their dedication, care and love for those we support but also for the solidarity, they have given us, their colleagues, during the past 18 months, which have been so stressful and traumatic.

This winter will be one like no other and we will remember the actions and inaction of this government. Social care needs radical reform. We all deserve better.