England's local councils failing to 'take account of the full costs of care'

Care workers’ pay needs to be addressed at a local level, according to the United Kingdom Home Care Association (UKHCA) which is looking to hold local authorities to account for the pressure their cuts have placed on the sector.

Although in support of a 3 per cent increase in the National Minimum Wage, which the Low Pay Commission have recommended to the Government this week, UKHCA do not want to see any increase being used as an excuse for overlooking the reality that the majority of care workers remain significantly underpaid.

UKHCA’s own recommended wage for home care is £15.19 – to rise to £15.74 if the 3 per cent increase is implemented – a price that only 4 out of 101 councils in England are currently meeting, according to figures released by the BBC after applying the Freedom of Information Act.

UKHCA Chair Mike Padgham comments: “We all want to see the home care workers properly rewarded for the demanding and essential work they do. However, local authorities have persistently failed to recognise these cost pressures.

“It is imperative that a Government which acts on the Low Pay Commission's recommendation to increase the Minimum Wage also heeds the Commission's urge for a requirement for councils to take account of the full costs of care in the statutory guidance it is currently preparing on commissioning of social care.”

Homecare.co.uk director, Davina Ludlow, welcomes the Low Pay Commission’s announcement as a step in the right direction, but also urges attention on the issue of funding.

She comments: “Home care staff provide a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable people in our society, yet they are amongst the lowest paid.

“Pressure from commissioners to tighten budgets means care providers are only paid for ‘contact time’ and not a penny more.

“Travelling between care visits is unpaid – pushing their real-world pay below the National Minimum Wage. No wonder employers have to cope with a high turnover of staff.

“While increasing National Minimum Wage is a step in the right direction, until we address the fundamental problem with the way home care is funded, both carers and individuals will continue to suffer.”