Glasgow facing ‘critical shortage’ of care workers

Glasgow City Council councillors have now approved a seven month contract with Caledonia Healthcare for social care agency staff.

The ongoing staffing problems have been fuelled by workers having to isolate due to Covid, sickness, annual leave backlog and other issues. Only Caledonia Healthcare can meet the “level of social care agency staff” needed for the city’s care at home and residential home services, a council paper said.

The contract agreement will run between September 1 this year until March 31, 2022.

It will cost £700,000 – with £550,000 earmarked for for care at home workers. A total of £150,000 is to be spent on staff for residential care home services.

Councillors gave the “contractual arrangement” the green light at the Contracts and Property Committee.

Speaking at the committee, Labour Councillor Jim Kavanagh said:”I do believe there is a crisis in the home carers’ market but how many vacancies have we actually got within the Health and Social Care Partnership. Have we attempted to fill these vacancies?”

The Cardonald politician added: “I would like those vacancies to be filled and then I would understand the need to appoint someone relatively quickly to move this on so each individual gets the care required.”

Head of Commissioning Geri McCormick said she didn’t have vacancy information to hand but would find out.

But she confirmed: “There is an active recruitment process.”

She said: “Our preferred position would be to have a full and additional staffing complement.”