Yousaf urged to ‘do the right thing’ and reinstate fund for social care staff

A Labour MSP has urged the First Minister to “do the right thing” and reinstate a fund designed to help struggling social care staff.

The Social Care Staff Support Fund was put in place during the pandemic to ensure workers forced to self-isolate as a result of Covid-19 would not face financial hardship.

The fund was initially supposed to lapse in October of last year, but it was extended until the end of March.

Labour’s Monica Lennon has urged the Scottish Government to reintroduce the fund.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday, she told Humza Yousaf: “Carers in the gallery, their colleagues and the people they care for deserve much better than this, First Minister.

“The fund was time-limited but the crisis in social care is getting worse by the day.”

Ms Lennon pointed to press reports that carers had called on the fund to be brought back “because they cannot afford to get sick”.

She added: “Removing this financial safety net now without an alternative solution will accelerate the collapse of social care and push the NHS further into crisis.

“Will Humza Yousaf’s Government listen, meet with the workers and our unions and do the right thing?”

Mr Yousaf said he would be “happy” to meet with trade unions, saying the Government does so “on a regular occasion”.

He added: “We are taking action to address pay, that is why we funded a further pay increase to the tune of £100 million this financial year.”

Referencing the fund specifically, Mr Yousaf said: “Our fund continued longer than any other UK nation, but it was always a temporary measure, particularly when self-isolation rules were in place.”