Vol. 406 No. 1
86 Mr. J. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health if there is an agreement for an increase in pay in respect of social workers in the health service; if so, when he will instruct health boards and hospitals to pay the increase; the effective date of implementation; if he will give details of the present salary structure for each grade of social worker; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The sanction required to implement the arbitrator's finding in respect of social workers' salaries was issued by my Department on 1 March 1991 and the arrangements for payment are now a matter for individual employers.
In accordance with the arbitrator's finding, the salaries are increased on a phased basis — as provided for under clause 3.3 of the agreement on pay in the public service — with the first phase being retrospective to 1 July 1989.
Present salary scales for the various grades of social worker are as follows:
Social Worker
£14,179, £14,635, £15,088, £15,541, £15,996, £16,454, £16,904, £17,357, £17,809.
Professionally Qualified Social Worker, Medical Social Worker, Psychiatric Social Worker
£17,075, £17,501, £17,927, £18,351, £18,777, £19,205, £19,630.
Senior Social Worker
£20,757, £21,193, £21,628, £22,068, £22,504, £23,129.
Medical Social Worker Senior/Single Handed
£17,269, £17,675, £18,294, £18,911, £19,525, £20,144, £20,762, £21,379.
Head Medical Social Worker
£21,008, £21,455, £21,902, £22,350, £22,797, £23,433.
The above scales apply with effect from 1 October 1990; they take account of the full implementation of the arbitrator's finding but do not include the 4 per cent increase effective from 1 January 1991 as provided for under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress.
