A CARE provider commissioned by Cheshire West and Chester Council has come under fire for ‘shameful’ changes to staff working conditions.

But the provider has hit back, blaming what it called ‘the historic underfunding’ of the sector.

Alternative Futures Group (AFG) – a not-for-profit health and social care charity commissioned by a number of councils across the North West - has developed a proposal it called “A Chance for Change”, which it says will ‘change the enhanced terms and conditions’ for its support workers in an effort to cut costs.

But the move has been slammed by political figures across the region, with 21 MPs and 63 councillors - including Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury, Chester MP Chris Matheson and Chester West and Chester Council Deputy Chairman Rob Bisett - signing an open letter to condemn the proposals.

Paddy Cleary, UNISON North West regional organiser, branded AFG’s treatment of its care workers ‘nothing short of shameful’.

He said: “All contractual terms are set to be reviewed, leaving open the prospect of AFG cutting their occupational sick pay scheme in the midst of a pandemic.

“This would pose a public health risk, putting both care workers and service users at increased risk, as care workers are forced to choose between health and hardship.”

A spokesman for AFG said it was consulting with staff over the plans.

He said: “We would love to pay our staff a Real Living Wage (RLW) but to do this means we need to review all our current enhanced terms and conditions and discuss with our team how we move forward towards this aim.

“We stand with our staff to lobby local authorities and central Government to tackle the historical underfunding of this sector so that the RLW becomes the norm within our industry and make our business sustainable for the future, which as a charity we have a legal obligation.

“We have written to the Government calling on them to do a thorough and meaningful review of the social care workforce and put more money into the system so that we can pay our hardworking colleagues better.

“It is disappointing that there is still no plan for social care reform.”