A LOCAL politician has welcomed a pay rise for social sector workers across the local authority.

It comes after Natalie Don MSP welcomed the First Minister's Programme for Government as crucial to ensuring those who work in child and social care are paid fairly.

The rise means that private and voluntary staff working in Adult Social Care, Children's Services, and funded Early Learning and Childcare will be paid at least £12 per hour from April 2024.

Natalie Don MSP said: “Increasing pay for those who care for the young and vulnerable is vitally important and will make a huge difference to social care workers across my constituency of Renfrewshire North & West.

“While the minimum wage for adult social care staff is already around £900 a year higher in Scotland than it is in England, this uplift reflects the invaluable work done by those caring for the most vulnerable members of our society.

“The First Minister’s core missions of equality, opportunity, and community are at the heart of this Programme for Government; with policies such as these benefitting up to 100,000 workers, of whom four out of five are female.

“The increase also reflects the SNP Scottish Government’s wider priorities on child poverty and fair work while recognising the critical role of these workers in our communities.

“I am very pleased to see the First Minister recognised the work of social sector workers in Renfrewshire North & West.”