Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. I’d like to thank the Welsh Government, firstly, for listening to Welsh Conservative calls to increase pay for our hard-working social carers throughout Wales. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve finally got there, so da iawn ti. And it’s high time they are rewarded for their commitment and dedication to supporting others. However, the industry is struggling from a series of problems that an increase in pay is unable to solve, unfortunately. Although further support to social care workers is a right move forward, the Government must focus on the retention of care workers.

A care home owner contacted me recently to express her frustration with how staff who have given dedicated service to residents over a sustained period of time are leaving to seek new employment due to no longer wanting to work in the care sector—and working conditions, hours required to work, and pay have all been factors in why they are leaving. Equally, the continued use of agency staff, as mentioned earlier in the debate, has left the industry unable to function as professionally as it should, and, as we have seen recently, has proven to show significant flaws in the care provided. Increased pay will begin to soften some of the problems, but it falls on the Welsh Government to encourage carers not to work for an agency, but to seek care as a fulfilling and rewarding career.

I firmly believe that not enough is being done to encourage young people that care is a vocation for life, and not just a job that follows on from A-level or BTEC qualifications at school. Therefore, this budget shows that one problem has been addressed, but the roots of the issue start at schools, and I call on the Welsh Government to ensure that care is not just seen as a job. Equally, it should be pushed that it is a career that has multiple routes for progression and further training opportunities if staff so wish to pursue those options. You hear me a lot banging on about the fact that I worked in the NHS for 11 years, and that’s true; prior to that I worked in social care, and that was a big concern among a lot of staff, particularly ones who aspired to have promotion in their field of work, and career progression, and they felt that they were hitting a glass ceiling because the training opportunities weren’t available on an internal basis. So, I'd like the Minister please to address that in responding to the debate: what aspect of this budget in regard to social care will incorporate some of those training needs that are needed in the sector, so that we're indeed giving the most vulnerable people in our society the best care and treatment they deserve by people who feel rewarded in those careers? Thank you very much.