Care home inspectors in Scotland could take industrial action amid a growing staffing “crisis” and a dispute over pay, we can reveal.
The Care Inspectorate – which regulates care homes, nurseries, fostering and other services – currently has 42 vacancies for inspectors, almost 14% of the total.
Trade union officials warned the shortages were having a “massive impact” on a workforce that has been under huge pressure throughout the pandemic.
Unison also confirmed that a large number of the remaining inspectors at the Dundee-based regulator were now involved in a formal grievance over pay levels, with an improved offer being sent out this week.
If it were to be rejected, and no further uplift is proposed by bosses, the union could ballot for “action of some sort”, although a strike remains unlikely due to the nature of their work.
Emma Phillips, regional organiser for Unison, said: “There is the potential for industrial action.
“It is not a step we’re looking to take lightly but ultimately things can’t continue on as they do at the moment.”
A Care Inspectorate spokesman said pay negotiations were at an advanced stage.
He added that the pandemic had caused worldwide recruitment pressures which were “challenging” and that it remained a “key priority”.
The Care Inspectorate board discussed the staffing issues at its meeting last month.
The high number of vacancies led to an anticipated £1.773m underspend on staff costs at the watchdog last year.
Recent recruitment campaigns were described as “very disappointing” by officials.
“This has an impact on our ability to deliver on the approved Scrutiny and Improvement Plan,” the report said.
The issue comes as the Care Inspectorate attempts to recruit a new chief executive, prepares for a public inquiry into the pandemic, and braces itself for a major shake-up of Scottish social care in the wake of the Feeley report.
Ms Phillips said: “There is a general recruitment crisis in the care service and there is also a recruitment crisis in the people who inspect care.
“The really difficult work they do in dealing with really difficult situations is not valued enough, and so consequently we are running short of inspectors – people are not coming to work to do this job because people are not paid enough.
‘Massive impact’
“It’s having a massive impact on the inspectors. The inspectors have been doing extra work throughout the pandemic.
“They’ve been working excessive hours to try and improve people’s safety during this time, and there are just not enough of them to do the job that they want to do.”
The Unison official said the current pay offer was unlikely to be enough to resolve the issues.
We don’t think it will fully resolve their recruitment issues.
– Unison official
“There is a formal grievance lodged and we have a large number of people involved in the grievance, a large number of the inspectors have been part of it,” she said.
“There is an offer to uplift some of the pay. The inspectors need to decide whether or not that is good enough.
“We are concerned that, whilst it is an improvement, we don’t think it will fully resolve their recruitment issues.”
Inspectors are often recruited from senior posts in social work and nursing.
But it is claimed those jobs often pay more than the rate currently offered at the Care Inspectorate, which is understood to be between £42,954 and £47,505.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Inspectors have been trying their hardest throughout the pandemic but it is obvious that they are overworked.
“Scotland’s care system needs a radical revamp with changes to pay, conditions and personal development to encourage more people into the sector.
“Everyone deserves to have access to high quality, flexible and locally-run care services and community care built around individual needs and choices.
“Ensuring we have enough inspectors in place will be part of that change.”
Programme of inspection
A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: “The Care Inspectorate continues to deliver a programme of inspection across Scotland based on our risk and intelligence model, to ensure we deploy our scrutiny and improvement support resources where they are needed most.
“Our budget includes provision for 303.5 full time equivalent (FTE) inspectors across early learning and childcare, children’s services, adults, older people, and strategic inspection.
“We currently employ 261.5 FTE and have a recruitment campaign currently in progress to fill the 42 FTE vacancies across all areas of inspection.”
The spokesman added: “Negotiations in relation to inspector pay are at an advanced stage with colleagues, through our Partnership Forum.
“There is no relationship between those discussions and staff vacancies; the discussions relate to employees of the Care Inspectorate, not vacancies.
“The health and social care sector across Scotland, the UK and globally, is facing significant pressures and demands as a result of the pandemic.
“Therefore recruiting and retaining expert, qualified staff that have the skills and experience to deliver on our duties can be challenging but remains a key priority.”