NEW social care qualifications won’t stop workers leaving in droves for higher paying and less pressured jobs, Unison warned yesterday.

The Department of Health and Social Care announced the introduction of a national care career structure using previously announced funding from its People at the Heart of Care plan.

It said more than £50 million would support up to 37,000 people in direct adult social care jobs to enrol on a new level 2 adult social care certificate qualification between June this year and March 2025.

And more than £20m will be available for local authorities and adult social care providers to put towards training and supervising “hundreds” of new social work and nurse apprentices.

Unison head of social care Gavin Edwards said that a national career structure for care workers and recognised qualifications are “long overdue” but warned without reform and investment they will amount to “putting a shiny new wing mirror on a car with a broken engine.”

He said: “What’s required is a significant hike in pay or staff will continue to leave in droves.

“Retail and hospitality pay much more with far less pressure.

“Ministers must also tackle rogue employers who drive down conditions for care workers, leading to the highest vacancy rates in the economy.

“These changes are hardly the plan to fix social care that was promised four and a half years ago.

“What’s needed is the proper reform that can only come from a national care service.”

Anna Hemmings, of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, urged politicians to commit to a “long-term, fully funded plan for social care.”

Patricia Marquis, Royal College of Nursing director for England,  warned the plans will fail without “new funding commitments, further detail, and a comprehensive workforce plan.”