A report by Scottish Care highlighted concerns facing the care at home sector which it claims is heading towards a "precipice".

The organisation is urging the Scottish government to set up a new Care For The Carer fund to help prevent the resignation of "stressed" and "fatigued" staff.

Alongside a dedicated funding aimed at protecting the "mental health and well-being of front line social care staff", Scottish Care is calling for a pay commission to be set up to establish an "adequate rate of pay" for workers.

Among the 12 main issues addressed in the report, Scottish Care has also warned of a "massive recruitment crisis" in the industry, with nine out of ten independent social care providers struggling to recruit staff.

The report is also calling for an independent, cross-party commission to be established to determine how social care in Scotland will be funded in the future.

A statement read: "Let us put equality at the heart of health and care and create a distinct fund to nourish and nurture the social care workforce, similar to those that exist for NHS staff."

Chief executive of Scottish Carer Donald Macaskill said: "Scottish Care has been warning for the last year that the precarious nature of home care in the current climate is leading us closer to a precipice of home care collapse in Scotland.

"If meaningful action isn't taken urgently to ensure we still have a social care system able to care for our vulnerable older citizens, the consequences are enormous - for health and social care, for the economy, for jobs, and most importantly, for the tens of thousands of individuals and families who rely on support in their own homes.

"That is why we are launching 12 Minutes to Midnight - to make clear what the very real challenges are and to offer our thoughts on the changes that are necessary to creating sustainable home care into the future."