Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has told Labour conference that she will be bringing back the Sure Start programme which improved outcomes for children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds, as she also set out a number of policies to revamp the health and care sector under Andy Burnham’s leadership.
Cooper told conference: “Since the election, Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell have been working to rebuild family hubs across the country, bringing back support for parents and for young children.
“But something is missing. In half of communities, compared to the last time round, the healthy babies services – mental health support for mums and dads, the feeding and bonding support for your new baby.
“That changes now. I can announce we will bring back the Sure Start health services into every family centre.
“Reaching up to 1,000 hubs over the next two years.
“One of the Labour party’s greatest achievements restored to families throughout the land.
“So listen to that, George Osborne – Sure Start’s back.”
Cooper also said that the government would be setting up a collective pension scheme for workers in care sector.
She said the Labour government will deliver the first-ever legally-binding fair pay agreement for care workers with minimum standards of pay and conditions across every employer.
Cooper told delegates: “We will publish a proper workforce plan for social care, proper career pathways, training, development of specialist skills.
“We’ll offer thousands more academy places to help young jobseekers into good jobs in care, and thanks to the campaigning of all the Unison members in this hall, we will go further because it is just wrong that the people who work hardest to help others maintain dignity and respect in old age too often get nothing back from retirement themselves.
“So, I can announce today we will introduce the first ever national collective pension scheme for workers in the care sector – fair pay, fair terms and conditions, and now a proper pensions scheme.”
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