The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has said employment businesses and the people who work through them must be a big part of the workforce plan for Prime Minister Andy Burnham's proposed National Care Service, warning the Government not to repeat NHS staffing policy mistakes that prioritise politics over pragmatism.
Responding to Burnham's Labour conference speech, interim chief executive Maxine Bligh said agencies were central to staffing care at the scale the country needs.
Bligh: 'Partnership with the private sector'
"Employment businesses and the skilled and dedicated people who work through them are a big part of the workforce plan needed for the National Care Service if it is to be well-staffed and deliver the service the Prime Minister aims to create and the country needs. We must learn from the mistakes of NHS staffing policy which prioritises politics over pragmatism.
"Instead, we encourage the government to approach staffing for a National Care Service with the fresh approach to politics and problem-solving the Prime Minister referred to, in his speech. This requires a partnership approach with the private sector and continuous dialogue to deliver a workforce plan that will deliver on the scale needed."
Devolution and local labour markets
Bligh also backed Burnham's emphasis on devolution for growth and jobs, saying recruiters sit at the heart of local communities and understand employers' skills needs.
"In our members' experience, the best labour markets are created when local businesses, local authorities and local people work together, because they understand the needs of their communities better than anyone."
