The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched a consultation on fair pay agreements in adult social care in England. The consultation is seeking views from individuals and organisations on how to establish the best way to collectively agree a fair pay agreement.
A fair pay agreement will be an agreement that sets minimum standards for pay and terms and conditions, enforceable by law. The consultation document says that fair pay agreements will also be able to address wider employment matters, such as training opportunities and career progression for the adult social care workforce.
The Government plans to introduce a process for fair pay agreements to be collectively agreed via the Employment Rights Bill, with the changes expected to be implemented in October 2026, according to the Government’s Implementing the Employment Rights Bill: Our Roadmap for Delivering Change.
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The DHSC says that the outcomes of the consultation will help the Department to understand sector views on a range of areas, including:
- establishing an Adult Social Care Negotiating Body
- the negotiating process
- coverage and remit
- dispute resolution
- implementation
- compliance and enforcement.
The consultation is open for responses until 11.59 pm on 16 January 2026.
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